What to know
Kokura Castle (小倉城, Kokurajō) was built in 1602 at the start of the Edo Period. The castle burned down in 1866, and the current keep is a ferro-concrete reconstruction from 1959. Its traditional architecture offers an interesting visual contrast with the modern shopping and entertainment complex nearby.
The castle grounds are now called Katsuyama Park, a popular cherry blossom spot that usually blooms in early April. The keep appears to have four floors from the outside but actually has five inside. The modern interior features local history exhibits, an interactive zone, and a small theater where visitors can get a hands-on and visual experience of past castle life. The top floor provides panoramic views over the city.
A small Japanese garden with a pond and the castle keep as borrowed scenery opened on the grounds in 1998. The garden can be viewed from a traditional Shoin-style building with multiple tatami rooms. An interesting design feature is that the fabric borders along the edges of the tatami mats indicate the status of the room's occupants—for example, the ruling lord would occupy the room with the larger tatami edge design.
Kokura Castle is about a 15-20 minute walk southwest of Kokura Station.
How to get to and around Kitakyushu
Visitor information
Practical details to check before planning this stop.
- Hours
- 9:00 to 20:00 (until 19:00 from November to March)
- Closed
- No closing days
- Admission
- 350 yen (~$2.24) (castle only)
- English name
- Kokura Castle
- Original name
- Kokura Castle
Verify details before visiting. Currency conversion is indicative and may vary over time.