About this atlas

Editorial approach

Photographs are the way in. The page order helps a first-time visitor grasp the character of a castle, three things to see and the practical visit essentials in about thirty seconds, before going deeper into stories, people and remains.

Our counts are not the total number of castles in Japan. They show what this atlas has collected and verified so far, with basic pages, in-depth articles and checked visitor information clearly separated.

Record, tradition and interpretation

We do not present documented history, local tradition and scholarly interpretation as though they were the same kind of fact. Labels and source numbers distinguish them. Information we have not verified is shown as “Not confirmed,” never as “None.”

Photographs

We mainly use documentary photographs from Wikimedia Commons after checking their reuse terms. Every photograph shows its photographer, licence and source page. We never fill a castle page with a stand-in photograph of another place.

How we use AI

Articles are organised and edited from sources by an editorial team that includes AI, with references and checking dates attached. We do not use AI-generated images of castles. AI output alone is never treated as historical evidence.

Visitor reviews

Reviews collect first-hand details that can help future visitors. Every submission is checked before publication. We do not publish advertising, personal information or posts that are not based on a visit. The words and date of a visit matter more than a star score alone.

Maps and data sources

Maps use OpenStreetMap data through OpenFreeMap and OpenMapTiles. The core register draws on Wikidata, Japanese Wikipedia, the Japan Castle Foundation, the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, and published material from municipalities and museums. The state of that research appears in the national register and each castle's source list.