From Akasaka Station on the Fukuoka City Subway, you will walk to the west and will see the "Uenohashi-Gomon" Gate beyond the inner moat.

Excavational investigations of "Kourokan" were conducted and some of investigation results were displayed.

The site of "Kourokan" is located to the third bailey. If you walk through the third and the second baileys, you will come to the "Omote-Gomon" Gate, which was the main gate for the main bailey.

After passing through the "Omote-Gomon" Gate, you will see the "Gokinen" Turret. The turret was built in 1860 at the end of the Edo Age.

If you walk to the south from the "Gokinen" Turret, you will see the foundation of the Main Castle Tower as shown in the below picture.

There is no clear record that proof if the Main Castle Tower of Fukuoka Castle was built. You will go to the site of the Main Castle Tower through the "Kuroganemon" Gate shown in the below picture.

As the route to the site of the Main Castle Tower is complicated and the defense of the "Kuroganemon" Gate was very strong, it seems very difficult for the enemies to go there.

You will see the "Ohori" Pond to the west from the foundation of the Main Castle Tower. The "Ohori" Pond used to be the outer moat of Fukuoka Castle.

There are two turrets in the south bailey. The below-left picture shows the "Nishi Sumi" Turret and below-right picture shows the "Kita Sumi" Turret. The "Nishi Sumi" Turret is the original building and was built in 1853. The "Kita Sumi" Turret was rebuilt in 1971.

These two turrets are connected by the "Tamon" Turret. The "Tamon" Turret was built in 1854. The total length of the "Tamon" Turret is approximately fifty-five meters. The "Tamon" Turret was used as a warehouse for weapons during the Edo Age.

As the "Nishi Sumi" Turret and the "Tamon" Turret remain from the Edo Age, these two turrets are designated as important properties of Japan.

You will look up the "Kita Sumi" Turret and the "Tamon" Turret from the third bailey. The white wall of these buildings are very impressive.

If you walk from the south bailey to the north, you will go through the site of the "Matsukizaka Gomon" Gate. The below picture shows the slope from the "Matsukizaka Gomon" Gate to the third bailey.

If you continue to walk to the north, you will see the "Shimono-Hashi Gomon" Gate. The "Shimono-Mon" Gate was damaged by fire in 2008, and now it was repaired.

The Fukuoka Domain was the third largest feudal domain in Kyushu. Fukuoka Castle is also a large castle. Total forty-seven turrets were built in the Edo Age. After the Edo Age ended, many of castle buildings were destroyed. Some of original turrets are reminiscent of Fukuoka Castle in the Edo Age.

How to get there
From Tokyo or Osaka, take a "Nozomi" bound for Hakata. Take a Fukuoka City Subway on the Airport Line from Hakata to Akasaka. The ruins of Fukuoka Castle is within a walking distance. Alternatively, fly to Fukuoka Airport and change to the subway.

Other Historical Sites near by:
Shofukuji Temple and Tochoji Temple
Sofukuji Temple
Kushida Shrine and Nakasu
Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine
Ruins of Dazaifu Government
"Nijino-Matsubara" Beach