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The Karatsu Castle is classified as a hirayamajiro, which is a type of Japanese castle constructed on a plain or meadow, than being situated on top of a mountain or hill. Located in the city of Karatsu, Saga Prefecture, the place used to be the residence of the Ogasawara clan.

The architecture of the castle stood out from the rest of its kind in Japan because it is constructed directly on the ocean floor of Karatsu Bay, making the bay water its natural moat or first line of defense. It was ordered to be constructe by Terasawa Hirotaka, when he became Lord of Karatsu in the year 1595.

Photo by mahlervv. Licensed under Creative Commons. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en)

Tags: karatsu castle, hirayamajiro, japanese castle, saga prefecture, ogasawara clan, architecture, japan, karatsu bay, terasawa hirotaka, lord of karatsu