Yatsushiro Castle in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, was built starting in 1619 by Kato Masakata after the nearby Mugishima Castle was destroyed by an earthquake. The castle served as a secondary stronghold for the Kumamoto domain under the Tokugawa shogunate, with control later passing to the Hosokawa and Matsui clans.

It was known as Shirasagi Castle or White Egret Castle due to its white limestone walls. The main keep was destroyed by lightning in 1672 and never rebuilt, with further parts damaged by fire in 1797 but some later restored. Today only the stone walls and moat remain, and the site has been designated a national historic site and one of Japan’s “100 Great Castles.”

The castle grounds now form a park including a shrine built on the former keep’s site, preserving its historical legacy.