"Shiro" Japanese Castle

The center of Japanese politics shifted from the emperor to the samurai in the 13th century. Samurai politics gave birth to a new culture that had never existed before. One of the most representative examples of Samurai culture is the castle shown in the photos.
Castles existed before the 13th century, but most were relatively simple defensive strongholds built on low mountains or hills with fences and dugouts around them. As conflicts between powerful samurai became more intense, castles became more defensive and were built throughout the country.
The "Tensyu", a typical Japanese castle building shown in the photos, is similar to a keep tower and functions as a place to monitor the surroundings, a place to issue commands in the event of war, and ultimately as a fortress.
Today, most of Tensyu have been lost due to political policies or wars, but 12 Tensyu remain.