Hiroshima Castle Ruins (historic site)

*Hiroshima Castle's keep was closed in March 2026 due to aging and other reasons. However, the exterior of the keep can still be viewed.

This castle, also known as Rijo or Zaimajo, was built by Mori Terumoto as the new base of the powerful Mori clan.

The Mori clan distinguished themselves during the Jokyu War (1221) in the Kamakura period, and were granted the position of jitō (land steward) of Yoshida Manor in Aki Province (present-day Aki-Takata City) by the shogunate. They were a powerful clan that expanded their influence centered around Koriyama Castle.

Among them, Motonari was an outstanding figure. During the turbulent Sengoku period, he defeated powerful samurai in various regions, including the Amago clan of San'in, and became an unparalleled daimyo in the Chugoku region.

Terumoto, Motonari's grandson, also held considerable power under the Toyotomi regime as a daimyo with a domain of 1.12 million koku.
He decided to move his base from Koriyama Castle to the mouth of the Ota River, a strategically important location on the inland sea, offering political, military, and economic advantages.

At the time, the mouth of the Ota River was known as "Gokamura" (Five Villages) and was said to be a desolate village overgrown with reeds.
Terumoto, guided by local powerful figures such as Fukushima Motonaga, inspected areas including Koiyama and Futabayama, and as a result, decided to build his castle on "Zaima," the largest island among the Five Villages.

Construction of the castle, which faced extreme difficulties, began in the spring of Tensho 17 (1589), with Ninomiya Naritoki and Hoida Motokiyo appointed as construction magistrates.

However, the construction of the moat in the low-lying river delta and the foundation work to raise the castle grounds with excavated soil proved extremely difficult.
The necessary materials for the castle, such as stone, were transported from Nihojima and Ebajima islands, while the timber came from Ukishima in Suo Province (present-day Yamaguchi Prefecture).

However, after approximately two years, this difficult construction was partially completed, and around February of Tensho 19 (1591), Terumoto moved into the new castle.

The castle grounds measured approximately 992m east-west and 1,010m north-south. In the center were the main keep and second bailey, surrounded by an inner moat. Outside the inner moat was the third bailey, where the residences of the family's daimyo and important retainers were located. Further surrounding this was an outer moat, with the Ota River also serving as a natural outer moat.

The central main keep, divided into upper and lower levels, housed the "Oyakata" (palace) where the feudal lord resided and conducted his affairs. A five-story, five-tiered main keep stood in the northwest corner, flanked by three-story smaller keeps to the east and south.

In parallel with the castle's construction, development of the merchant district, waterways, and land routes centered on the south side of the castle also progressed.

Wealthy merchants invited by Terumoto from various regions participated in this development, resulting in a well-organized, grid-like town layout.

This marked the birth of Hiroshima, a new city that would become the political and economic center of the Chugoku region.

Alongside Hiroshima's history, Terumoto was defeated in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, less than ten years after entering the castle. Fukushima Masanori then became the castle lord.

During the 20 years under the Fukushima clan, Hiroshima saw a boom in the production and distribution of goods, leading to population growth and a gradual expansion of the town's territory.

However, the Fukushima clan, as daimyo who had been favored by Hideyoshi, incurred the shogunate's displeasure and were stripped of their domain and exiled to Kawanakajima in Shinano Province (present-day Nagano Prefecture) for unauthorized repairs to their castle.

The successor to Hiroshima Castle was Asano Nagaakira, who moved from Wakayama in 1619.

The Asano clan ruled the domain for 12 generations and 250 years, eventually leading to the Meiji Restoration.

After the Restoration, Hiroshima Castle underwent rapid transformation.

In 1871 (Meiji 4), the Chinzei Garrison's First Branch was established, and during the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95 (Meiji 27-28), the Imperial General Headquarters was set up within the main keep. Until the end of World War II, it was primarily used as a military facility site.

The outer moat was filled in at the end of the Meiji era and converted into streetcar tracks and residential areas.

While the castle tower (a former national treasure) and the drum tower remained, they were all destroyed by the atomic bomb.

However, in 1958 (Showa 33), the castle tower was reconstructed in reinforced concrete as a symbol of Hiroshima's reconstruction.

Furthermore, in 1989 (Heisei 1), to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the construction of Hiroshima Castle, the Ninomaru (second enclosure) was renovated. In 1991 (Heisei 3), the Omote-gomon (front gate) and Gomonbashi (gate bridge) were completed, and in 1994 (Heisei 6), the Hirayagura (flat turret), Tamon-yagura (multi-story turret), and Taiko-yagura (drum turret) were completed, restoring the Ninomaru to its original appearance.

Date of Designation: March 31, 1953 (Showa 28)
Overview: Designated area 118,019.33 m²