Strolling around the Saga Castle ruins

After watching planes takeoff and landing at Saga Airport, I went back to Saga city and keep taking pictures of the Saga Castle ruins.

The time was already 4 pm. I don't have enough time to visit there, so I only went to see the main gate and the keep tower ruins.

A little history of the Saga Castle
The Saga Castle is a residence of the Nabashima clan of Saga which was extended and improved of the former Ryuzoji clan's castle, the Muranaka Castle, between 1608 and 1611. During the feudal period, the castle was buried into two big fire. The first time was a large fire in 1726. Many buildings were burnt down including the castle tower, the keep tower and Ninomaru (二の丸, second enceinte). After that, the castle tower and the keep tower was not rebuilt and the clan government was done in Ninomaru and the superior mansion. However, the castle tower was rebuilt on the occasion of the Ninomaru fire in 1835. This gate, also known as the grampus gate, was completed as a main entrance of the castle tower in 1838. In the Meiji era, the castle tower was used as a clan government office and later the Saga Prefectural government office. In the battle of Saga in 1874, some buildings were damaged by the war. As a story of the fierce battle at that time, bullets still remained at the entrance of gate.

The main gate of Saga Castle and its turret.

Passing through this gate, you'll find the Saga Prefectural Honmaru History Museum on the right side. A part of the former castle tower was restored in 2004 and now it is used as a museum.