You may recall from previous posts that I recently had myself a little half-day trip to Karatsu. During that trip I was able to visit the ruins of Hizen Nagoya castle (肥前名護屋城). It should be noted that the decommissioned mess of Hizen Nagoya castle was where Karatsu castle got much of its building materials.

Hizen-Nagoya is such a unique beast. It was built in the late 1500′s, and it was huge. Such was its size that it is believed to be the second largest Japanese castle ever built. The epic citadel of Edo taking the top spot. Interestingly, Hizen-Nagoya was only in use for less than a decade. That being the case though, it was able to maintain its original shape; a rare feat.

The remnant stonework may be in rather poor condition, but I strongly recommend a visit to this castle if you find yourself in Kyūshū. It’s a fascinating place in a quiet corner of Japan.