Shirakawa Komine Castle Ruins

Shirakawa, Japan, Japan

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Shirakawa Komine Castle Ruins are the remains of a large hill castle on a long, narrow ridge just west of JR Shirakawa Station in Shirakawa City, southern Fukushima Prefecture, historically known as one of the three great castle complexes of the Tōhoku region alongside Morioka and Aizuwakamatsu castles.

Originally built around 1350 by the warlord Yuki Chikatomo during the Northern and Southern Courts period, the castle went through many lords before becoming the seat of the Abe clan, who ruled Shirakawa Domain for most of the Edo period, and parts of its massive stone walls were expanded in the 17th century by Niwa Nagashige to create a fortress that is today recognized as one of Japan’s 100 Fine Castles and as a National Historic Site.

The castle was largely destroyed by fire during the Boshin War in 1868, leaving only earthworks, ramparts, and spectacular stone walls, and in 2011 ten sections of those walls collapsed during the Great East Japan Earthquake, but they were carefully restored using traditional methods and reopened in 2019, with the new Komine Castle History Museum letting visitors explore the site’s past through virtual reality and displays of the reconstruction process. 

Today the ruins are developed as a park that is especially famous for cherry blossoms in spring, and visitors can climb the restored three-story wooden turret (Sanju Yagura), walk along the imposing Honmaru and other stone walls, and enjoy panoramic views over the city and the Abukuma River that flows just below the hill.