Japanese castles and their keeps

In short

What a keep is

A keep (tenshu) is a large, tall wooden building at the center of a castle, which was a center of political power in feudal Japan.

Keeps first appeared in the late 16th century. Many were built in a short time up to the early 17th century, and their design and structure developed quickly.

The five National Treasures

Among castle buildings that are Important Cultural Properties, only five castles have been named National Treasures: Matsumoto, Inuyama, Hikone, Himeji and Matsue.

Their keeps are the five that still stand from the time between the keep of Azuchi Castle (1576), the start of keep building, and the keep of Edo Castle built in the Kan’ei era (1637), its peak. A document from Matsue City describes a plan to put these five keeps forward for Japan’s World Heritage Tentative List.

Matsumoto Castle

At Matsumoto Castle, Ishikawa Yasunaga built three keep buildings, including the main keep. The castle grounds are about 600 m from east to west and from north to south.

Its five keep buildings were named National Treasures in 1936 under the old law, became Important Cultural Properties in 1950, and were named National Treasures again in 1952.

Himeji Castle

The large keep of Himeji Castle was built in 1608. It has five roofs outside and six floors inside, plus one floor underground. It was named a National Treasure in 1951.

Think about it

• Q1Why would people build a tall tower at the center of a castle?
• Q2Keeps were made of wood. What dangers would a wooden building face over 400 years?
• Q3Are there castles or forts in your country? How are they different?

There is no single right answer. Talking it over with someone at home is a good way to learn.