* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Nakatsu Castle
中津城
Nakatsu Castle is a historic castle in Kyūshū dating from the Built in 1588 (Tenshō 16), whose lord was Kuroda Yoshitaka (Kanbei).
Overview
About the Castle
Nakatsu Castle is a flatland castle located in Nakatsu City, Oita Prefecture, and was constructed as a celebrated "water castle" (mizujiro) utilizing seawater from the Nakatsu River and Suō-nada Bay (part of the Seto Inland Sea). In Tenshō 16 (1588), Kuroda Yoshitaka (Kanbei Joshi), who served as Toyotomi Hideyoshi's supreme military strategist and was also called the "Kongming of Japan," commenced its construction, which was completed under his son Nagamasa. It is counted as one of Japan's Three Great Water Castles (alongside Takamatsu Castle and Imabari Castle), and the castle's structure—with seawater from Suō-nada Bay drawn directly into its moats—reflects Kanbei's characteristic rational design that aimed at maritime defense and the effective utilization of naval forces. The present main tower is a reinforced concrete replica constructed in Shōwa 39 (1964); its interior now serves as the Nakatsu Castle Museum, exhibiting the history of the Kuroda, Hosokawa, and Okudaira clans.
The Life of Kuroda Kanbei / Yoshitaka
Kuroda Yoshitaka (1546–1604) was born into a samurai family of Harima during the Sengoku period and, as the chief strategist of Hashiba Hideyoshi, proved to be the supreme military mind of the age, employing countless brilliant stratagems to support the unification of Japan. When Araki Murashige rebelled, Kanbei was sent as a persuasion envoy and endured the harsh ordeal of imprisonment for over a year in Settsu's Arioka Castle, yet remained unwavering in his loyalty to Hideyoshi. He participated in all of Hideyoshi's major campaigns—including the Chūgoku Reversal, the Battle of Yamazaki, the Battle of Shizugatake, and the Siege of Odawara—and his military strategies exerted profound influence on military thinkers of later generations. During the Battle of Sekigahara, Kanbei remained in Kyushu and conducted a blitzkrieg campaign through the power vacuum, capturing numerous castles; however, because Tokugawa Ieyasu secured victory at Sekigahara early, Kanbei's achievements were underappreciated.
Fukuzawa Yukichi's Hometown
Nakatsu is renowned throughout Japan as both a castle town with strong historical ties to Kuroda Kanbei and as the birthplace of Fukuzawa Yukichi, the great thinker whose intellectual contributions were instrumental in Japan's modernization. Yukichi was born as the son of a Nakatsu clan samurai in the Nakatsu clan's Osaka mansion (and moved to Nakatsu soon after birth), studied Dutch and English at the Tekijuku in Osaka and in Nagasaki, and later founded Keio Gijuku. "An Encouragement of Learning," which opens with the famous declaration "Heaven neither creates a man above others nor below others," stands as a cornerstone of modern Japanese thought, and many tourists who visit Nakatsu do so with the specific aim of seeing Fukuzawa's former residence and the Fukuzawa Memorial Museum. The historical depth of Nakatsu, home to two towering figures—Fukuzawa Yukichi, whose face graces the 10,000-yen note, and Kuroda Kanbei—is truly noteworthy.
The Hosokawa and Okudaira Clans and Nakatsu Domain
After the Kuroda clan was transferred to Fukuoka, the Hosokawa clan—famous for Hosokawa Tadaoki and Gracia—arrived in Nakatsu, and under Hosokawa Tadaoki's governance, Nakatsu Castle underwent significant renovation. Subsequently, after a brief period under the Ogasawara clan, the Okudaira clan became the lords of Nakatsu Domain (100,000 koku) in Kyōhō 2 (1717) and ruled until the Meiji Restoration. The Okudaira clan, descended from the bloodline of Tokugawa Ieyasu's daughter Princess Kame, were hereditary daimyo with deep ties to the shogunate while diligently promoting Nakatsu's industry and culture.
Nakatsu's Food Culture and Tourism
Today, Nakatsu is widely famous throughout Japan as the "Holy City of Karaage" (fried chicken), and Nakatsu karaage, distinguished by its soy-based marinade and unique frying method, attracts food enthusiasts from across the country. The combination of castle ruins tourism and karaage gastronomy has become established as the "Nakatsu Style," making it a destination to be enjoyed from both historical and culinary perspectives. The dramatic scenery of the Yabakei Gorge with its distinctive rock formations and autumn foliage is also among Nakatsu's premier tourist attractions, making it a destination blessed with all three elements: history, cuisine, and nature.
Connection to Swords
The connection between Nakatsu Castle and swords can be understood through two exceptional lineages: the sword culture of Kuroda Kanbei and his son Nagamasa, and their link to the Hosokawa family, the most important daimyō clan in Japanese sword history. Kuroda Takakage (Kanbei) is known as a strategist and tactician, but he was also an accomplished swordsman. The most famous sword in Kanbei's possession was the "Heshikiri Hasebe," now designated a National Treasure. The Heshikiri Hasebe is a masterpiece by Hasebe Kunishige, a swordsmith of the Nanbokuchō era, with a blade length of approximately 64.8 centimeters (2 shaku 1 sun), a katana-style blade. The name derives from a tale that Nobunaga "press-cut" (heshikiri) a tea servant hiding beneath a shelf, and the blade was later passed to the Kuroda family. The Heshikiri Hasebe remains housed at the Fukuoka City Museum as a prized blade of the Kuroda family and ranks among the most renowned National Treasure swords in Japan. Hosokawa Tadaoki was the daimyō who became lord of Nakatsu Castle and was counted among the Seven Sages of the tea master Sen no Rikyū as Hosokawa Sansai, a celebrated tea connoisseur. Tadaoki was also renowned as a discerning judge of swords, and the sword collection descended in the Hosokawa family now housed at Eisei Bunko in Tokyo comprises outstanding pieces. In particular, the "Kasen Kanesada," which descended in the Hosokawa family, is celebrated among sword enthusiasts for the legend that Tadaoki executed 36 retainers with this blade, and the name is said to derive from the "36 Poetry Sages"; combined with its formidable legend, it stands as one of the most renowned swords among sword connoisseurs. After the Okudaira clan became lords of Nakatsu, martial arts—swordsmanship, archery, and spearmanship—were encouraged in the Nakatsu domain. Because the Okudaira family was closely related to the Tokugawa shogunal family, multiple swords presented by the shogun are documented, and examples can be seen in the exhibits within Nakatsu Castle's keep. Nakatsu is a treasury of sword culture where crucial figures in Japanese sword history—Kuroda Kanbei, Hosokawa Tadaoki, and the Okudaira family—served successively as castle lords. It is a rare place where one can touch the essence of Japanese sword history through two legendary blades: the Heshikiri Hasebe and the Kasen Kanesada.
Highlights
- Nakatsu Castle tenshu (replica) — museum displaying Kuroda, Hosokawa, and Okudaira clan history, swords, and armor
- Heshikiri Hasebe and Kuroda Kanbei heritage — the origin point of one of Japan's most famous National Treasure swords; pair with a visit to Fukuoka City Museum
- Fukuzawa Yukichi birthplace and memorial — pilgrimage site for the life and ideas of Japan's great Meiji modernizer
- Yabakei Gorge scenic rocks and autumn foliage — extraordinary rocky landscape about 30 min by car from Nakatsu
- Nakatsu karaage fried chicken — Japan's karaage holy city; soy-marinated, double-fried chicken draws nationwide pilgrims
- Rakanji Temple — cliff-face cave temple in Yabakei Gorge, with 3,700 stone arhats lining the spectacular rock-cut corridors
* Opening hours and admission fees are subject to change. Please check the official website before visiting.