Strolling around the Usuki Castle ruins

After walking around the Castle town of Usuki, we went to a nearby spot, Usuki Castle ruins. The castle was built by Otomo Sorin in 1562 on the Island Nyu-jima, in Usuki Bay as his head castle.

Crossing the stone arch bridge and go up the stairs to the castle.

When we went up the stairs, we met the wooden turret gate.

Usuki Gokoku Jinja (臼杵護国神社) is a Shinto shrine in the castle. It is the family shrine of Inaba clan dedicated by Inaba Yoshimichi, also known as Inaba Ittetsu.

In 1600, Sadamichi, who was raised in rank by Oda Nobunaga in 1564, was installed at Usuki Domain and his descendants remained in the same place until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. 

The site of Honmaru keep tower. There were some old ruins and stone walls in the castle, but most of all are gone.

The Ukoko-mon turret looks like its original form, but actually it's recently built.

A view of Usuki city from the Honmaru. Now it is reclaimed and a little far away to the sea, but at that time there was a port because of their close proximity.

The Ushitora Inari Shrine built by Sorin is right next to the above-mentioned Ukoko-mon turret.

A replica of Otomo Sorin on the Ni-no-maru site. When Shimazu Yoshihiro of the Shimazu clan came into fight in 1586, he fought against the Shimazu clan. He used a large cannon called Furanki-hou (佛狼機砲) or simply said Kuni-kuzushi (国崩し) in the picture below to defect from the Shimazu army.