Here’s me getting ready to go crazy with my Kagoshima adventures (see last post: Sakurajima bang) and I realise that I have ton of stuff that I’ve yet to get to from the Japanese Summer school holidays.

I did some driving back in August, and why would I be driving around Kumamoto in my free time? To visit castles of course. The castle I visited that day was Kikuchi castle.

Interestingly, Kikuchi the castle is written as 鞠智城, and Kikuchi the city is written as 菊池市. Also interestingly, is that this type of thing isn’t that rare.

The ancient Kikuchi castle (鞠智城) wasn’t the only castle I had my sights set on that day, in fact. There was another Kikuchi castle (菊池城) and this one was of the later, Sengoku-period variety. (Confused yet?)

The stone castle-marker you see to the left was the only indication that the site was ever anything more than the local shrine, or so I thought. Not 10 steps to the left of the castle marker is a door, and a door I’d recommend you go through.

What I found was several large rooms filled with border-line fascinating, historical items on display. Most amazing of all was that the door was just open, no-one was there to collect the entry-fee. There was no entry fee. There were no visitors.

Thinking back now, it almost blows my mind the amount of history out there that is not locked away, yet still no-one gets to experience it.

On display

Armour, and quite a bit of it. The suits of armour below I’d date to the Edo perod (1603 – 1868). I don’t believe there were signs saying each armour belonged to so-and-so. The one photo I have with the sign clearly visible simply states that it it of the Etchū-style (越中流).

I don’t consider myself an expert on Japanese arms and armour, but its style of the armour below would indicate that it belongs to an era prior to those of the previous photo.

This was a surprise, armour of a Mongol warrior. The Kikuchi clan actually came to prominence (if I’m to believe Wikipedia) during (one of) the Mongol invasions of Japan at Hakata bay. Getting back to the armour, it’s probably a replica.

The sign says that this old roof tile was dug up from what was the main enclosure (of the castle.)

A fine array of weapons, and so rare that they can be photographed. There were no signs nor guards to say that photography wasn’t permitted. This place gets the Japanese Castle Explorer seal of approval.