is a Japanese castle

Japanese castle

' were fortresses composed primarily of wood and stone. They evolved from the wooden stockades of earlier centuries, and came into their best-known form in the 16th century...

, located in Maruoka, Fukui

Maruoka, Fukui

was a town located in Sakai District, Fukui, Japan.On March 20, 2006 Maruoka, the towns of Harue, Mikuni and Sakai were merged to form the new city of Sakai....

, and famous for its donjon (tenshu), the oldest in Japan. Built in 1576 by order of Shibata Katsutoyo

Shibata Katsutoyo

was a samurai commander in the Azuchi-Momoyama period.Shibata Katsuie was his uncle, and Katsutoyo was adopted.The meeting in Kiyosu Castle was held after Oda Nobunaga died....

, only the central tower (tenshu) remains; the grounds are used by the local populace for festivals such as hanami

Hanami

is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers, "flower" in this case almost always meaning cherry blossoms or ume blossoms. From the end of March to early May, sakura bloom all over Japan, and around the first of February on the island of Okinawa...

and traditional parades. The castle is also known as due to the legend that whenever an enemy approaches the castle, a thick mist appears and hides it.

External links

• Maruoka Castle - Fukui Prefecture sightseeing guide
• Google Images Search

• Maruoka Castle - Guide to Japanese Castles