Fukuoka Castle Ruins

Large, rough-hewn stone walls climb the hillside at the heart of Maizuru Park. These are the primary remains of Fukuoka Castle, built at the dawn of the seventeenth century for Kuroda Nagamasa, a lord who helped unify Japan. While the towers have vanished, the massive granite blocks were fitted together without mortar, designed to withstand siege and earthquake alike. In the early days, the complex spanned nearly a mile, housing a powerful administrative center that served the Kuroda clan for generations.