Castle Day
April 6th is Castle Day in Japan. It is an opportunity to celebrate the history and importance of castles. In the fifteenth century, Japan was a collection of numerous small independent states, which squabbled with each other. Castles were built on mountain tops for defence.
When Japan was unified in the late sixteenth century, larger castles were built as administrative and military centres. These were constructed on the plains or on small hills, rather than mountains.
Towards the end of the nineteenth century, castles were seen as undesirable reminders of the feudal past and many were deliberately demolished. Others were destroyed in the Second World War.
Japanese castles were wooden structures built on stone foundations. Today twelve castles survive with their original keeps.
For comparison, France has the most castles in the world, with 45,000. Italy has 20,000, and Germany has over 4,300. The British Isles has 3,000 to 4,000 castles.
The USA has 152 structures that are considered castles, but most are architectural reconstructions.
Don’t give Trump any ideas. He’ll want to start building castles. Bigly. With big, beautiful ballrooms like no one has ever seen.
ReplyDeleteI deliberately avoided reference to him! Gold-plated, they would be, too.
DeleteHow sad that only twelve castles survived. Your photo is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThank you, The photo was my screensaver this morning.
DeleteSo we are extremely lucky to have Portchester Castle in our village.
ReplyDeleteYou are, indeed.
DeleteIt's sad that there aren't many that remain.
ReplyDeleteI love looking around a castle. So much history and such interesting designs.
I agree with the poster above - please don't give that person any ideas lol
In Kalamazoo, the town where I live there is a 'castle' (I use the term very loosely). It's called Henderson Castle. It's more like a mansion than a castle, lol, but I suppose castle sounds more interesting
We defend ourselves in different ways, now.
DeleteWe watch a short TV show every week called " Bicycle Japan". And what really interests us besides the bicycling of course, is all the history that they show in this short 30 minutes. We've seen a lot about the castles. And of course the temples.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds such an interesting programme, and just the right length.
DeleteThere is an edifice in Toronto caked Casa Loma. I don’t know about the fest of Canada.
ReplyDeleteWell, I know now, that there are supposedly three but two are hotels in Quebec and Victoria , and I don’t think they should count.
I think it's fairly safe to say that there are no mediaeval castles in Canada!
DeleteI never thought of Japan as having castles
ReplyDeleteNor did I, until the photograph popped up on my screen.
DeleteHow sad that most of these castles were demolished :-( xxx
ReplyDeleteIt is, but they were wooden, so would not have lasted as long as stone.
DeleteHi Janice - my A-Z in 2012 was all about castles - I learnt a lot ... but they were UK ones and one Irish one, I didn't venture out over the oceans! Love the screen saver ... cherry blossom - just beautiful - cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to discover we don't have more castles, actually.
DeleteI love the idea of Castle Day and I have never really thought about which countries have castles and how many. There are lots in Northumberland!
ReplyDeleteI grew up near a castle, the remains of one, anyway - just the keep.
DeleteI had no idea France has so many more castles than we do in the UK!
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to discover just how many it had. I would have guessed Germany.
DeleteFascinating. I always learn such interesting things when I visit your blog.
ReplyDeleteKind of you to say. I look it up as I go along. 😳😟
DeleteWell ... I never thought of Japan as having castles!!!
ReplyDeleteThere is something quite fascinating about castles though.
All the best Jan
They are a reminder of times past.
DeleteFrance with 45000 castles? I didn't know that.
ReplyDeleteIt's a lot, isn't it?
DeleteLove the days when I learn something new. Thanks!!!
ReplyDelete😊
DeleteVery interesting. Always learn something new when I visit you
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteA concise yet evocative reminder that Japanese castles, though fewer in number, embody a uniquely preserved wooden heritage shaped by centuries of conflict, unification, and cultural reassessment.
ReplyDeleteAn ancient civilisation, eventually unified.
DeleteOnly 12 left - what a shame and cultural loss. I wonder why they were built from wood, given how flammable wood is. France has 45,000 left despite World War II? That's amazing. Perhaps, assuming they are all stone, that's why so many survived.
ReplyDeleteWood was abundant and flexes in earthquakes, but stone cracks.
DeleteThere used to be some good webcams set up to view large areas of cherry blossoms in Japan, and I used to watch one at Hirosaki Castle, near where a friend then lived.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds lovely. Cherry blossom season doesn't last long.
DeleteOnly 12... how sad. I really loved the glimpses of your wonderful castles.
ReplyDeleteOur castles are forbidding strongholds.
DeleteFrance has so many castles! They should sell off some of them at low prices. I'll take one.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
I'm sure you could find one to suit! 😉
DeleteI always enjoy your interesting posts Janice, thank you!
ReplyDelete