Recommended Season and Climate for Ogura Castle
The best time to visit Kokura Castle is in spring. Kokura Castle is planted with approximately 300 cherry trees, making it one of the best cherry blossom viewing spots in Kitakyushu City. Visitors are encouraged to bring a packed lunch and enjoy strolling around the castle, and from late March to early April, the opening hours are extended so that visitors can view the cherry blossoms at night. Autumn is also a great time to visit, when the autumn foliage is beautiful and the Kokura Castle Firelit Noh Play and Kitakyushu Kokura Castle Festival are held.
Access and transportation information to Kokura Castle
Kokura Castle is just a brisk 10 minutes on foot from from JR Nishi-Kokura Station, or 20 from the Main JR Kokura Station.
Opening Hours and of Kokura Castle
Kokura Castle is open from 9 to 6 pm between April and October, closes an hour earlier at 5 pm from November to March. The reception desk is open until 30 minutes before closing. Admission Fees
How Much Does It Cost To Enter Kokura Castle
Adults: 300 yen
High school students: 150 yen
Elementary school students: 100 yen
The fascinating history of Kokura Castle
It is said that the Kokura castle was first built by the mighty Mori clan around 1569, at the conclusion of the sengokujidai which is known in English as the Warring States period.
Later, in 1602, Hosokawa Tadaoki took over and build the castle up over seven years period. As is the fate so often for Japan’s castles, it was the victim of a ferocious fire in 1837 and completely destroyed
Hosokawa was no slouch though, and rebuilt the castle in just two years, minus the castle tower which was not rebuilt.
The castle tower was later confiscated by the U.S. during the Pacific War, but was rebuilt in 1959 after the confiscation was lifted. The castle tower is an interconnected, stratified tower-type tower consisting of a one-story small tower and a four-story, five-story large tower. It is also known as a karazukuri keep. Karazukuri refers to a structure in which the plane of the upper floor overhangs that of the lower floor.For Kokura Castle, the fifth floor is actually wider than the fourth floor.
Attractions and Popular Spots in Kokura Castle
The main attraction within Kokura Castle is the view of the city of Kokura from the Karazukuri castle tower. There is also a historical zone with a diorama of the original castle town and other exhibits.
Outside the castle, visitors can see the fieldstone walls, which are said to have been one of Tadaoki Hosokawa’s prized possessions. Visitors can also purchase boxed lunches at “Nukagura,” a pickle shop that has recreated the Kimimi-yagura.
