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Kochi Castle was built by the first lord of the Tosa Domain, Yamauchi Kazutoyo. Construction of the castle began in 1601 and took ten years to complete, but it was destroyed by a great fire in 1727. The current Kochi Castle is the castle that was rebuilt in 1753. As one of the "existing twelve tenshu" that has been preserved since the Edo period, Kochi Castle is the only castle that has completely retained both the tenshu and the honmaru palace (Kaidokukan). There are a total of 15 buildings within the castle that are designated as Important Cultural Properties, and it has been selected as one of Japan's top 100 castles.
One of the notable features of Kochi Castle is its many defensive structures, including secret pathways that are easy to defend and difficult to attack. The most striking of these is a defensive mechanism called "Ninobae," which is designed to prevent enemies from climbing the walls by inserting iron spikes into the surrounding walls. Kochi Castle is the only existing tenshu that still retains the "Ninobae" structure.
Today, Kochi Castle is open to the public for free as part of Kochi Park, with a fee required only to enter the tenshu. It is recommended to climb to the tenshu to enjoy the beautiful views of Kochi City and to experience the feeling of looking down over one's territory, just as the castle lord did in the past.
Additionally, Kochi Castle is illuminated every day from sunset until 22:00, making the castle appear even more beautiful and enchanting under the lights.
