Miyao Castle Ruins

Hatsukaichi, Japan, Japan

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Miyao Castle Ruins are the remains of a small 16th‑century hill fort on the island of Itsukushima (Miyajima) in Hatsukaichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.

The fort was built in 1555 by the warlord Mōri Motonari as a deliberately visible “trap castle” to lure his enemy Sue Harukata onto the island, leading to the decisive Battle of Miyajima in which Mōri defeated Sue’s much larger force through clever tactics rather than sheer strength. Although often called a castle, Miyao lacked a central tower and noble residence and functioned more like a fortified hilltop position with main and secondary citadels plus outer defenses along the ridges.

After the battle, the fort was abandoned, and today the site is a small public park on Yougai Hill, accessible by a few minutes’ walk from Miyajima’s ferry terminal, with an explanatory signboard, a small shrine, and reconstructions of earthworks and trenches that illustrate its layout. The ruins are historically significant as the setting of one of Japan’s most famous battles of strategy and are visited alongside Miyajima’s major sites such as Itsukushima Shrine and the surrounding natural and cultural landscape.