Wakayama Castle
| Wakayama Castle | |
|---|---|
和歌山城 | |
| Wakayama, Wakayama-ken, Japan | |
The reconstructed concrete tenshu (keep) of Wakayama Castle
Map around Wakayama Castle | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Hirayamashiro (hilltop castle) |
| Condition | The tenshu and some connected buildings were reconstructed using concrete in 1958. |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 34°13′39.46″N 135°10′17.84″E / 34.2276278°N 135.1716222°E |
| Height | Three stories |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1585-1586 |
| Built by | Toyotomi Hidenaga |
| In use | 1586 to 1945 |
| Materials | Earth, stone, and wood |
| Demolished | Most of the castle during the Meiji Restoration, though the tenshu survived until its destruction from firebombing in 1945. |
Wakayama Castle (和歌山城, Wakayama-jō) is a Japanese castle located in the city Wakayama, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. For most of the Edo Period, it was the administrative center of Kishū Domain, which was controlled by a cadet branch of the Tokugawa clan. Due to its size and status, Wakayama Castle was ranked as one of the most important castles under the Tokugawa shogunate.
Although the castle was designated a National Historic Site in 1931, the original Tenshu and buildings were all destroyed by US bombing campaigns during the Pacific War. The current structures were rebuilt in concrete in 1958. The Nishi-no-Maru Garden was designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty in 1987.