Mizuki Castle


Mizuki Castle was built in the year 664, in the third year of the Emperor Tenji's reign It was built in the Dazai urban prefecture, presently situated in central Fukuoka, Japan. It is believed it was built to be the Japanese Yamato court. The main reason for construction was that there was a fear of an invasion from the continent, and it is thought that the castle was ordered to be constructed to protect Dazaifu. There are only some remains of the castle left, including some low walls in the picturesque countryside. The castle is often associated with Ōno Castle.
The name "Mizuki" means "water fortress". The castle itself was 1.2 kilometres long, 80 metres wide and 10 meters high. It had a very large moat protecting the Hazaka side of the castle.

Current day site

The present site actually has a motorway running through it. There is a fair amount of remains of the castle on site. There is nothing left of the Daifaru regional headquarters, except for an empty field. On site is a small museum, with information in English and Japanese. There is a model of Mizuki Castle in the nearby Kyushu National Museum.
The Castle was listed as one of　the Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles in 2017.