Fukuoka Castle - More About The Castle - Aftermath

Aftermath

Soon after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, the castle ended its history as the residence of the lords. The O-shita-no-yashiki Residence was then used as the government center of Fukuoka Prefecture, a new regional administrative unit which adopted the name of the castle. In Meiji 9 (1876) the government centre was moved to the southeastern area of what was the outer castle of Fukuoka Castle, and the castle was then used as a military complex through the year 1945, when the Pacific War ended, and the site began to be used by American occupation forces.

By the time the site of the inner castle was designated a national historical site in 1957, most of the castle structures in the inner castle were decayed, demolished, and burnt except the following seven structures, which survived:

1. Tamon Yagura (Minami-no-maru Nishi-hira-yagura)--Located on the top of the western wall of the Minami-no-maru.
2. Shimo-no-hashi Gate—Located at the Shimo-no-hashi Gateway; Second floor of the structure removed.
3. (Go-) Hon-maru Omote-(go-)mon (Main Gate of the Hon-maru)--Located on the north of the hon-maru; Moved to Sofuku-ji Temple.
4. Hanami Yagura (Cherry-blossom-viewing Yagura)--Located in the southwestern corner of the inner castle; Moved to Sofuku-ji Temple; Being returned to its original location.
5. Shiomi Yagura (Sea-water-watching Yagura)--Located in the northwestern corner of the inner castle; Moved to Sofuku-ji Temple; Being returned to its original location. (This structure has long been believed to be the Tsukimi Yagura.)
6. Kinen Yagura (Prayer Yagura)--Located on the northeastern corner of the hon-maru; Moved to Taishō-ji Temple in the present-day city of Kitakyushu and returned to its original location. (The aftermath of this structure is not quite certain, because the exterior of the structure and some documents including an old photograph contradict each other.)
7. Inosuke Yagura or Ko-tokiuchi Yagura (Former Clock Yagura)--Located on the western wall of the hon-maru; Moved to the Kuroda family's detached residence located to the north of the inner castle, then to the Shimo-no-hashi Gateway. (This structure has long been believed to be the Shiomi Yagura.)

The stone walls in the inner castle, however, are fairly well preserved except for the following:

1. The stone wall on the south of the Higashi-Ni-no-maru.
2. The stone walls around the Matsunoki-zaka Gateway.
3. The stone walls around the Oimawashi Gateway.
4. Some parts of the revetment on both sides of the moats.

The mound lines are also well preserved today although many parts of the moats are reclaimed.

The inner castle site is now used as Maizuru (Dancing Crane) Park and Ohori Park, places of recreation and relaxation for the Fukuokan citizens. These parks include, an athletic stadium, other sports facilities, flower gardens, Fukuoka City Museum of Art, Fukuoka District and High Courts, and Jonai residential quarter.

As for the outer castle, almost all the stone walls, mound lines and structures were demolished soon after the Meiji Restoration. The Hizen Moat and the Naka Moat were reclaimed and the Tojin-machiji-guchi Moat was converted into a culvert. However, a portion of the stone walls to the south of the Higashi-toriire Gate and an upper portion of the northern stone walls (bulwark) of the battery adjacent to the estuary of the Naka River still can be seen today.