Japan Castle Atlas

Mori Terumoto

毛利輝元

Grandson of Mori Motonari. Under Toyotomi rule he governed eight provinces in western Honshu and was one of the Five Elders. After serving as nominal commander of the losing Western Army at Sekigahara, he was reduced to two provinces, Suo and Nagato, and built Hagi Castle.

Years: 1553–1625

Historical record

Story

Work on Hagi Castle is said to have begun on June 1, 1604, and on November 11 of that year Terumoto moved into the partly built castle and began governing from it. The castle was completed four years later, in 1608.

Connected castles

In-depth article

Hagi, Yamaguchi

Hagi Castle

萩城

The keep is gone, but its stone base, flaring out like an open fan, still reflects in the moat in front of Mt. Shizuki, a hill jutting into the sea.

Japan's 100 Fine Castles No. 75CastleHilltop

renfield kurodaCC BY-SA 2.0Wikimedia Commons

built the castle; founder of the Hagi domainRecord source: article

In-depth article

Hiroshima

Hiroshima Castle

広島城

The keep felled by the atomic bomb was rebuilt in concrete as a symbol of recovery. In 2026 that keep closed its doors, and the city is now studying a rebuild in wood.

Japan's 100 Fine Castles No. 73CastleFlatland

ノボホショコロトソCC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons

built Hiroshima CastleRecord source: article

In-depth article

Hiroshima

Hiroshima Castle

広島城

The keep felled by the atomic bomb was rebuilt in concrete as a symbol of recovery. In 2026 that keep closed its doors, and the city is now studying a rebuild in wood.

Japan's 100 Fine Castles No. 73CastleFlatland

ノボホショコロトソCC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons

BuiltRecord source: jokaku

In-depth article

Hagi, Yamaguchi