Nagasaki Prefecture

Hirado Castle, also known as Kameoka Castle, is a mountain top Japanese Castle located in Hirado Nagasaki Prefecture. Hirado Castle was constructed on top a peninsula which protruded into Hirado Bay, thus surrounding the castle on three sides. In 1599 Matsuura Shigenbu completed the construction of a castle on the current site of Hirado Castle, however Matsuura Shigenbu burnt down his own castle in 1613 to show he was not threat to Tokugawa Ieyasu, after he and Toyotomi Hideyoshi lost the Battle of Sekigahara to Tokugawa Ieyasu. In 1718 Matsuura Takashi completed the current Hirado Castle with the support of the Tokugawa shogunate. This new castle was defend Japan from possible attack from the Sea of Japan. In 1871 as a part of the Meiji Restoration most of Hirado Castle was demolished except for the norther gate, one turrent and the moat. In 1962 a modern reconstruction of the donjon, four turrents and earthen walls were completed. |