SilkCode LibraryCastles of Japan
No. 076ShikokuTokushima

Tokushima Castle

徳島城

Ruins & historic sites

The Hachisuka clan’s castle ruins surround a hill in central Tokushima. Walls built from local blue-green stone give the site a distinctive character.

A bridge and stone walls at Tokushima Castle
A bridge and stone walls at Tokushima CastlePhoto: 663highland · CC BY 2.5 · Resized and converted to WebP. Cards crop the display.This photograph shows the site at the time it was taken. Check the notes and official sources for current restoration work and access.

Get to know the castle

Castle at a glance

Site & layout
Hill-and-plain castle
Origins
Construction 1585–1586
Builders & patrons
Hachisuka Iemasa
Other names
—
What remains today
Blue-green stone walls, enclosures, moat and palace garden

THE STORY

The story behind the walls

Hachisuka Iemasa began major construction in 1585 after entering Awa. The castle was completed in 1586 and became the Hachisuka seat. Its hilltop and foothill complex formed the centre of the growing castle town. Castle buildings were removed in the Meiji period. Surviving walls, parts of the moat and the palace garden preserve evidence of the domain’s history.

LAYOUT & ARCHITECTURE

Read the landscape and the buildings.

The layout combined a summit enclosure, terraces on the slopes and a palace below. Blue-green local stone follows the changes in elevation, illustrating the use of regional materials. Enclosure boundaries and walls still explain the relationship between hilltop and foothill areas, while comparison with the garden distinguishes residential and defensive spaces.

A CLOSER LOOK

Details worth a closer look.

01

Awa’s blue-green stone

Local blue-green stone gives the surviving walls their characteristic colour. Looking closely at colour and shape helps distinguish these walls from those elsewhere.

02

Hilltop enclosures

The summit enclosure and surrounding terraces reveal the castle’s layout. The meeting of terraces and slopes makes the vanished buildings’ setting legible.

03

Palace garden

The garden of the main palace survived the removal of the castle buildings. The garden contrasts the residential side of the castle with its defensive walls.

THROUGH THE YEARS

A short timeline

  1. 1585

    Hachisuka Iemasa begins construction.

  2. 1586

    Tokushima Castle is completed.

  3. Meiji period

    The castle buildings are removed.

BEFORE YOU GO

A note before you go.

Check the separate visitor information for the garden and museum. Take care on paths up the castle hill.

Official visitor information ↗Find it on a map ↗

Information checked: 27 September 2026

Sources & official information

Some official sources are available in Japanese only.

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