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Shimonohashi-gomon, the castle's west gate (left), and the so-called Shiomi Yagura beside it (right), September 2022. The gate was restored to its two-story form in 2008 after a suspicious fire in 2000. The turret on the right turned out not to be the real Shiomi Yagura but another turret from the castle.
HirhoCC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons

Fukuoka

Fukuoka Castle

福岡城

Fukuoka

CastleHilltop castle (hirayamajiro)Japan's 100 Fine Castles No. 85

What makes this castle distinctive

The massive keep base still stands, yet whether a keep was ever built on top of it is still an open question.

Why?

A 1646 map of the castle shows no keep, and for a long time the common view was that the Kuroda family never built one out of deference to the shogunate. In recent years, however, a document was confirmed in which Kuroda Nagamasa ordered repairs to the keep's railing, and in December 2024 a newly found document stating that a keep 'was built' came to light. Fukuoka City carried out the first-ever excavation of the keep base in fiscal 2025.[3][7]

Three things not to miss

01
The stone walls of the keep base rising at the back of the main enclosure, August 2015. The top is now a lookout.そらみみ (Soramimi)CC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons

Climb the mysterious keep base

Where
At the back of the main enclosure, the castle's highest point.
What to look at
The stone walls of the three keep bases, large, medium and small, and the view from the lookout on top.
Why it's interesting
Fukuoka Castle has three keep bases. Experts have long disagreed on whether a keep ever stood on them. The city is collecting records about the keep and excavating the base, and the results of the fiscal 2025 dig were presented at a public talk in August 2026. Today the base serves as a lookout with views over the city and Hakata Bay.[3][7][8]
Can you see it?
Visible from outsideFree to climb, by stairs.
02
The tamon turret in the south bailey (Minamimaru), February 2007. It is the only turret still standing in its original Edo-period position, and an Important Cultural Property.PontafonCC BY-SA 3.0Wikimedia Commons

The Edo-period tamon turret

Where
The south bailey (Minamimaru) of the second enclosure.
What to look at
The long single-story turret running along the top of a high stone wall, the two-story corner turret at its end, and the stone-drop openings and gun ports.
Why it's interesting
It is the only turret still in its original Edo-period position and is an Important Cultural Property. The single-story section is 63 m long and, unusually, divided inside into 16 small rooms. That section was rebuilt in 1853–54.[4]
Can you see it?
Partly visibleThe exterior can be seen; the interior is normally closed and opened only for events.
03
Shimonohashi-gomon, the castle's west gate (left), and the so-called Shiomi Yagura beside it (right), September 2022. The gate was restored to its two-story form in 2008 after a suspicious fire in 2000. The turret on the right turned out not to be the real Shiomi Yagura but another turret from the castle.HirhoCC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons

Shimonohashi-gomon and the two Shiomi turrets

Where
The northwest of the castle: the so-called Shiomi Yagura stands right beside Shimonohashi-gomon, and the real Shiomi Yagura, restored in 2025, stands at the northwest corner of the third enclosure.
What to look at
In the restored Shiomi Yagura, the difference between brown original Edo-period timbers and pale new wood in the pillars and beams, and the uneven color where old roof tiles were reused.
Why it's interesting
The turret beside Shimonohashi-gomon was long said to be Shiomi Yagura, but research showed it was a different turret, so it is now called the 'so-called' Shiomi Yagura. The real Shiomi Yagura had been sold to Sofukuji temple in the Meiji era and used as a Buddhist hall; city research from 1991 identified it through a ridge tag found in its roof space. The city restored it with surviving original timbers and traditional methods, finishing in March 2025.[5][6][9]
Can you see it?
Visible from outsideThe ground floor of the restored Shiomi Yagura is open free, 10:00–16:00 (closed Mondays, or the next weekday after a holiday).

At a glance for visitors

Nearest station
10 min walk from Akasaka Station, Exit 2 (Fukuoka City Subway)
Climb
Some climbing
Time neededEditors' estimate
About 1.5–2 hours to see the keep base, tamon turret, Shimonohashi-gomon and Shiomi Yagura.
Admission
Not confirmed (the castle grounds are free)
Hours
10:00–16:00 (ground floor only)
Access
Open to visitors

The castle grounds (Maizuru Park) are free (except during some events). The tamon turret interior is normally closed. The Japan 100 Castles stamp is at the Fukuoka Castle Mukashi Tanbokan and at Sannomaru Square.

Checked:

View on mapOpen in Google MapsFukuoka Castle and Korokan (official site)Fukuoka City Cultural Properties

The story of this castle

01
Historical record

Room for a castle town

Kuroda Nagamasa, who sided with Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle of Sekigahara, was given almost the whole province of Chikuzen (over 520,000 koku) and moved from Nakatsu in Buzen. He first entered Najima Castle, but the plain below it was too narrow for a proper castle town, so he decided to build a new castle at Fukuzaki, today's Maizuru Park.[1]

02
Historical record

Seven years of work by Kanbei and Nagamasa

From 1601, over seven years, they built a large castle on and around a low hill (hirayamajiro), about 1 km east to west and 700 m north to south. The name Fukuoka came from a place in Bizen Province (today's Okayama Prefecture) linked to the Kuroda family. Nagamasa's father, Kuroda Kanbei (Josui), also took part in the building. Seen from the sea, the castle was said to look like a crane spreading its wings, so it was also called Maizuru ('dancing crane') Castle.[1][10][11]

03
Historical record

A stronghold of some 50 turrets

Moats surrounded the castle, and it could only be entered by three bridges: Kaminohashi, Shimonohashi and Oimawashibashi. There are said to have been about 50 turrets, arranged in four levels: the keep base, main enclosure, second enclosure and third enclosure. The main enclosure held the palace where the lord governed and lived, but after the second lord, Tadayuki, built a palace in the third enclosure, it became a place for ceremonies.[2]

04
Scholarly interpretation

Was there ever a keep?

Because the 1646 map shows no keep, it was long believed that Kanbei and Nagamasa refrained from building one out of deference to the shogunate. But a document has been confirmed in which Nagamasa told a retainer to repair the keep's railing because it had rotted, and in December 2024 a new document stating that a keep 'was built' was found. In fiscal 2025 the city excavated the keep base for the first time ever.[3][7]

05
Historical record

What survives: walls and layout

Most of the buildings are gone, but the stone walls and the layout of the enclosures (nawabari) survive largely intact, and the site is a National Historic Site. The tamon turret is an Important Cultural Property, and Shimonohashi-gomon and the so-called Shiomi Yagura are prefectural cultural properties. The main gate of the main enclosure was moved to Sofukuji, the Kuroda family temple, where it serves as the temple gate.[1][12]

06
Historical record

Bringing back gates and turrets

Shimonohashi-gomon, half destroyed by a suspicious fire in 2000, was restored in 2008 to what is thought to be its original two-story form. Restoration of Shiomi Yagura began in 2023 and was completed in March 2025, with the ground floor open to the public since May. Through a donation fund called 'Everyone's Fukuoka Castle Fund', the city plans to restore more gates and turrets.[5][9]

People of this castle

Timeline

  1. Kuroda Nagamasa begins building at Fukuzaki (completed over seven years)[1][5]

  2. The 'Fukuhaku Sō-ezu' map shows no keep[3]

  3. Shiomi Yagura is sold to Sofukuji temple and becomes a Buddhist hall[9]

  4. Shimonohashi-gomon is restored in its two-story form[6]

  5. December: a new document stating that a keep 'was built' is found[3]

  6. Shiomi Yagura's restoration is completed; first excavation of the keep base[3][9][8]

Buildings and remains

The keep today

Not yet confirmed

Three keep bases survive, large, medium and small (the Japan Castle Foundation lists 'only the keep base remains'). Whether a keep ever stood here is officially described as uncertain: the 1646 map shows none, but there is a document ordering repairs to a keep railing and a new document found in December 2024 saying a keep was built. Experts disagree, and research continues.

The site today

The castle site is now Maizuru Park, with Ohori Park next door to the west. The stone walls and layout survive well, and the grounds also contain the remains of Korokan, an ancient guesthouse for foreign envoys. Visitor centers include the Fukuoka Castle Mukashi Tanbokan and Sannomaru Square.

Main buildings

OriginalImportant Cultural Property

Tamon turret, south bailey

The only turret still in its original position since the Edo period; the long section was rebuilt in 1853–54. Interior usually closed.[4]

Original, relocated

Shiomi Yagura (turret)

The building that had served as a hall at Sofukuji was moved back and restored at the northwest corner of the third enclosure using original timbers (completed March 2025). Ground floor open.[9]

Rebuilt in woodFukuoka Prefectural Tangible Cultural Property

Shimonohashi-gomon (gate)

Half burned in a suspicious fire in 2000 and restored in its two-story form in 2008.[1][6]

Original, relocatedFukuoka Prefectural Tangible Cultural Property

So-called Shiomi Yagura

A castle turret moved to a Kuroda family villa in the Taisho era and brought back in 1956; later found to be a different turret from the real Shiomi Yagura.[1][5][12]

Original, relocatedCity and prefectural cultural properties

Najima-mon gate and the Mori Tahei residence gate

A side gate from Najima Castle and the gate of Mori Tahei, one of the Kuroda 'Twenty-Four Generals'; moved into the castle grounds in 1961 and 1965.[1][5]

Key facts

Type
Castle
Setting
Hilltop castle (hirayamajiro)built on a low hill rising from the plainEditorial article
Period
Early modern (1570s–1871)Editorial article
Keep (tenshu)
Not yet confirmedwhether a keep existed is still being checkedEditorial article
Built by
Kuroda NagamasaJapan Castle Foundation
Built
1601Japan Castle Foundation
Main lords
Kuroda clanJapan Castle Foundation
Abandoned
1871Wikipedia (ja)
Remains to see
Turrets or turret bases, Gates, Stone walls, Moats, Baileys / enclosures (kuruwa), Keep base (tenshudai)Editorial article
Designation
National Historic Site; Important Cultural Property (tamon turret)Editorial article
Selection
Japan's 100 Fine Castles No. 85Japan Castle Foundation

Visiting

Access

Open to visitors

The castle grounds (Maizuru Park) are free (except during some events). The tamon turret interior is normally closed. The Japan 100 Castles stamp is at the Fukuoka Castle Mukashi Tanbokan and at Sannomaru Square.

Address

Jonai, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0043[1]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Nearest stations and how to get there

Akasaka Station, Exit 2 (Fukuoka City Subway)Fukuoka City Subway Kuko (Airport) Line

about 10 min walk · Some climbing

About 10 minutes on foot from Exit 2. For Sannomaru Square, use Ohorikoen Station Exit 5, also about 10 minutes.[1]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Hours and admission

Shiomi Yagura
Hours
10:00–16:00 (ground floor only)
Closed
Mondays (or the next weekday if Monday is a holiday)
Admission
Not confirmed (the castle grounds are free)[9]
Checked: 2026-10-03
Fukuoka Castle Mukashi Tanbokan
Hours
9:00–17:00
Closed
December 29 – January 3
Admission
Free[10]
Checked: 2026-10-03
Sannomaru Square (Fukuoka Castle and Korokan information center)
Hours
9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Closed
December 29 – January 3
Admission
Free[14]
Checked: 2026-10-03

By car / parking

Parking lots 1–4 inside the grounds (paid, about 450 spaces in total).[1]

Checked: 2026-10-03
Grounds opening hours
Not confirmed (the peony garden is open 9:00–17:00).[5]Checked: 2026-10-03
Time neededEditors' estimate
About 1.5–2 hours to see the keep base, tamon turret, Shimonohashi-gomon and Shiomi Yagura.
Steps, slopes and footing
The grounds are extensive, and the keep base is reached by stone steps and slopes.[5]
Wheelchairs and strollers
Not confirmed (wheelchair users can join the free guided tour with a reservation at least a week ahead, up to two wheelchairs per tour).[9]Checked: 2026-10-03
Toilets and rest
Not confirmed
English signs / audio guide
The free guided tour is in Japanese only. Other English support was not confirmed.[9]
Seasons
Plum blossoms and narcissus in January–February; cherry blossoms from late March to early April, lit up at night during the Fukuoka Castle Sakura Festival; peonies in April and May; wisteria in April–May; lotus and water lilies in the moats in summer; autumn leaves in November.[5]
Photography
Not confirmed
Works, closures and restrictions
The Fukuoka Historic and Cultural Heritage Week (October 17 – November 30, 2026) includes events marking the opening of the east gate of Korokan's north hall. Free guided tours of the castle and Shiomi Yagura run at 10:00 and 13:00 on weekends, holidays and Wednesdays (meet at Sannomaru Square; no booking; about 60 minutes).[15][9]Checked: 2026-10-03

Suggested routes

Free guided tour of the castle and Shiomi Yagura (official, about 60 minutes) 60 min

  1. Meet at Sannomaru Square
  2. Najima-mon gate
  3. Shimonohashi-gomon
  4. The so-called Shiomi Yagura
  5. Sannomaru Plaza
  6. Shiomi Yagura

Weekends, holidays and Wednesdays at 10:00 and 13:00 (sometimes cancelled). About 10 people per tour, first come first served, no booking, Japanese only. The route may change.

Around the castle

Museum

Korokan Ruins Exhibition Hall

Inside the castle grounds, this hall shows the remains of Korokan, an ancient guesthouse for envoys from Tang China and Silla, preserved as excavated, along with ceramics and other finds from overseas trade.[5]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Editors' guide

An editorial guide based on sources and confirmed information — not a first-hand visit report.

Who will enjoy it

Good for anyone intrigued by the mystery of whether a keep ever existed, who wants to feel a castle's power through its stone walls, or who wants an easy castle walk in central Fukuoka.

What makes it interesting

Climb the keep base first to see how the three bases fit together and enjoy the view. Then compare the original tamon turret with Shiomi Yagura, restored in 2025 with its old timbers, to see the difference between a surviving building and a revived one.

Before you go

No keep survives, and whether one ever existed is uncertain. The grounds are large, so wear comfortable shoes. Shiomi Yagura is closed on Mondays.

Ways to enjoy it

Start at the Mukashi Tanbokan, where a 1:400 model shows the castle as it was, to get your bearings on the lost turrets and gates. On weekends, join the free guided tour to hear the story of the two Shiomi turrets.

Photos

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Open questions

Sources

  1. 1
    福岡城(国史跡)【公式】福岡城・鴻臚館(福岡市)officialChecked:
  2. 2
    城の構え【公式】福岡城・鴻臚館(福岡市)officialChecked:
  3. 3
    天守台【公式】福岡城・鴻臚館(福岡市)officialChecked:
  4. 4
    多聞櫓【公式】福岡城・鴻臚館(福岡市)officialChecked:
  5. 5
    城内散策のすゝめ【公式】福岡城・鴻臚館(福岡市)officialChecked:
  6. 6
    下之橋御門【公式】福岡城・鴻臚館(福岡市)officialChecked:
  7. 7
    令和6年9月定例会 一般質問(9月5日)会議録福岡市議会municipalChecked:
  8. 8
    福岡城天守台 発掘調査報告会のお知らせ(2026年8月10日)福岡市の文化財(福岡市文化財活用課)municipalChecked:
  9. 9
    『潮見櫓』復元・公開【公式】福岡城・鴻臚館(福岡市)officialChecked:
  10. 10
    福岡城むかし探訪館【公式】福岡城・鴻臚館(福岡市)officialChecked:
  11. 11
    黒田官兵衛(孝高・如水)【公式】福岡城・鴻臚館(福岡市)officialChecked:
  12. 12
    (伝)潮見櫓【公式】福岡城・鴻臚館(福岡市)officialChecked:
  13. 13
    日本100名城 一覧公益財団法人日本城郭協会jokakuChecked:
  14. 14
    三の丸スクエア【公式】福岡城・鴻臚館(福岡市)officialChecked:
  15. 15
    「ふくおか歴史文化遺産ウィーク」開催のお知らせ(2026年10月2日)福岡市の文化財(福岡市文化財活用課)municipalChecked:
  16. 16
    List of Japan's 100 Fine Castles and the Next 100公益財団法人日本城郭協会jokakuChecked:
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    Wikidata Q1143944WikidatawikidataChecked:
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    OpenStreetMap way/345642780© OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)osmChecked:

Listing status

  1. Candidate foundChecked
  2. Confirmed as a castle siteChecked
  3. Basic informationChecked
  4. In-depth articleChecked
  5. Photo rights checkedChecked
  6. Visit info checkedChecked

Castles nearby

6th Moat of Fukuoka Castle0.2 km · Not yet confirmed3rd Moat of Fukuoka Castle0.5 km · Not yet confirmed4th Moat of Fukuoka Castle0.5 km · Not yet confirmed2nd Moat of Fukuoka Castle0.6 km · Not yet confirmed5th Moat of Fukuoka Castle0.6 km · Not yet confirmed1st Moat of Fukuoka Castle0.7 km · Not yet confirmed

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