Hirado Castle History and Tour | Nagasaki Prefecture | Japan
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- Опубліковано 8 вер 2024
- Destination Earth Presents: Hirado Castle History and Tour | Nagasaki Prefecture | Japan
Hirado Castle, located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, has a rich and fascinating history that spans several centuries, reflecting Japan's complex feudal past and its interactions with foreign traders. Here's an overview of its history:
Early Beginnings and Feudal Roots
Hirado Castle's origins date back to the 16th century when it served as a key stronghold for the Matsura clan, a prominent feudal family. The Matsura clan governed the Hirado Domain, a strategically significant area given its location along trade routes. Initially, the castle was constructed to provide defense and administrative functions for the domain, as was typical for castles in feudal Japan.
Foreign Trade and the Arrival of Europeans
In the early 17th century, Hirado became a critical port for foreign trade, attracting European merchants, particularly the Dutch and Portuguese. The Matsura clan, with its forward-thinking approach, established strong connections with these foreign traders, leading to the construction of a Dutch trading post in Hirado, known as the "Hirado Factory." This interaction between Japanese feudal lords and European traders was a unique aspect of Hirado's history, highlighting the domain's openness to foreign influences during a time of growing isolationism in Japan.
Reconstruction and Decline
The original Hirado Castle was destroyed in the 1600s as part of the Tokugawa Shogunate's consolidation of power. The Tokugawa regime, which was wary of powerful local lords, initiated a policy that required the destruction of castles to maintain centralized control. In response, the Matsura clan relocated and rebuilt a smaller castle on nearby Kameoka Hill in the 18th century, which became the Hirado Castle we know today. This new castle served as the Matsura clan's administrative center until the end of the feudal period.
Modern Restoration and Historical Significance
The Meiji Restoration in the late 19th century, which marked the end of feudal Japan, led to the dismantling of many castles, including Hirado Castle. However, in the 20th century, interest in preserving Japan's historical heritage grew, and efforts were made to reconstruct the castle based on historical records and plans. The current version of Hirado Castle, reconstructed in the 1960s, aims to capture the architectural style and significance of the original structure.
I love your Japan trips
We do too! We consider ourselves very lucky to have family there and have a "reason" to go back every few years! Next trip is scheduled for 2025!
This is great, what a cool experience to visit the castle. I love the little bridge and anchor :) agree with you, fantastic architecture there! Loved the samurai suit! wonderful video and views were amazing :)
This was an awesome spot - probably the best castle we've been to so far (and we've been to a couple other since this was filmed). Lots of great stuff was put into this place to make it fun and the views were amazing just in themselves.
very nice content. i always want to learn more about Japan. nice country
Lots of great history and information about the country! Glad you are enjoying the information about it!
It's definitely a beautiful castle with so much history! It's cool that they had a lot of interactive stuff to do. I really like that samurai suit as well! Beautiful views from the top of the castle, so I must agree. Very cool, Josh!
There really was nothing wrong with this place at all. It's one of the castles that I still think is my fav. Great views, cool stuff to do. Overall an awesome stop!
Can’t go wrong with Castle and Samurais. Liked how you added the tidbit of growing up and playing a game with Japanese Castles. Really added to the video. Sorry to see you took the L on the games but you were the away team 😂
This was a pretty amazing castle. Lots to love about it. I've wanted to be able to see castles like this, so it was really cool that I actually had the chance. Until now, it's mostly been castle ruins, which isn't quite the same. AHahhaha, yeah, I'm ok with you cheering for the home team, lol