Kurume Castle Ruins

Overview

Kurume Castle was a hirayama-jo (castle built on a low hill) constructed on a small hill along the Chikugo River. In 1592, following Hideyoshi Toyotomi's "Kyushu Kokuwari" (division of Kyushu), Hidekase Mori entered the castle, marking the beginning of its use as a castle for a modern-day daimyo (feudal lord). In 1601 (Keicho 6), Yoshimasa Tanaka succeeded the Mori family due to his merits in the Battle of Sekigahara, becoming the daimyo of the entire Chikugo province. His second son, Norimasa, became the lord of Kurume Castle. In 1621 (Genna 7), Toyoshi Arima inherited the Chikugo five counties after the Tanaka family's extinction, and Kurume Castle became the center of his rule until the end of the Edo period. Soon after entering the province, Toyoshi Arima carried out major renovations to Kurume Castle, changing the main gate, which had previously faced east, to face south. He constructed a castle with a concentric ring structure, with the Ninomaru, Sanmaru, and outer fortifications arranged north-south in front of the main gate. The general area extended approximately from the north side of Kurume City Hall in the east, where the outer moat separating the castle and castle town ran, to the forest and ditch behind the courthouse in the south. It was designated as a prefectural cultural property on March 19, 1983 (Showa 58). In spring, approximately 49 cherry trees add color to the serene atmosphere of the magnificent stone walls and moats, dyeing the entire hilltop castle ruins a pale pink.