Sadowara Castle Ninomaru ruins

Miyazaki, Japan, Japan

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The Sadowara Castle Ninomaru ruins are the remains of the lower secondary bailey (ni‑no‑maru) of Sadowara Castle, a mountain‑style castle built on a steep hillside about 70 meters above sea level in Sadowara, now part of Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture, on Kyushu.

Originally constructed by the Tajima clan in the 14th century, the castle became the main stronghold of the powerful Ito clan and later the Shimazu clan, and it was significantly expanded in the early 17th century with a three‑story keep, watchtowers, and fortified gates. The castle was abandoned in 1870 and demolished in 1871, but the Ninomaru area survived as a historic site where foundations, stone walls, and old pathways still show the layout of the former palace and samurai quarters.

Today the site is part of a National Historic Site and includes the reconstructed Tsurumatsukan (a traditional wooden building based on 17th‑century designs) and the nearby Kakushōkan Museum, which displays castle history and excavated artifacts such as parts of decorative roof ornaments.