about Kochi castlle

●about Kochi castlle

Following the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Kōchi Castle was constructed in what was then the province of Tosa. 
It was built by Yamanouchi Kazutoyo, who took control of the province after the Tokugawa victory. The castle was constructed as part of the move from Urado to the more defensible Otakasa (alt. Odakasa) area.
Construction was begun in 1601 and was completed in 1611. Much of the original fortress burned down in 1727; it was reconstructed between 1729 and 1753 in the original style. The castle underwent major restoration from 1948 to 1959. Though no battles were fought at the castle, it is noteworthy because the castle is the original structure, and not a post-war replica. It is also the only castle in Japan to retain both its original tenshu, or keep, and its palace, the residence of the local daimyō.In fact, it is the only castle to have all the original buildings in the honmaru, or innermost ring of defense, still standing.

Kōchi Castle is located in downtown Kōchi. The main entrance is directly across from the west entrance of the Obiyamachi shopping area. Visitors are asked to remove their footwear before entering the building, however slippers are provided.
As the castle is quite old, the tatami rooms are visible but not accessible. There is a small museum area with information entirely in Japanese. This museum houses several cultural artifacts of the Tosa region not native to the castle itself. The upper rooms of the tower are all empty, but visitors are allowed to climb to the top. There is a railing but no net around the balcony.
Handicap access is extremely limited, as the approach to the castle involves many steps, and there is no elevator.
The castle grounds are now a public park, and a popular location in spring for hanami. They contain the Prefectural Library and the Kōchi Literary Museum, in addition to statues of notable scions of the Yamanouchi family.

出典：Wikipedia