Shimabara Castle

Went on 17 December but it was closed. Nevertheless, the castle was impressive! The parking was free because it was closed. Walked from the Samurai residence street which is pretty near.

This is the 18th castle I have visited in Japan; historically, I could relate more with this castle mainly because of the fact that I am a Christian. The history of this castle dates back to the rebellion of the Christian community in this part of Japan against the Tokugawa Shogunate that had pursued a policy of discrimination against those of the Christian faith, it was the largest scale rebellion that the Tokugawa government had faced in there 200 year rule of Japan. This castle has extensive history on the events of that rebellion, the deployment of forces to intercept and defend against the government forces, it also has a collection of samurai and western-inspired weapons and armory that were used by soldiers and rebels of the time. The failure of that rebellion led to the enforcement of the proscription of Christians and forceful conversion, and subsequent torture of those that refused to abandon the Christian faith. The official document which outlawed Christianity in Japan is also showcased within this castle and has been perfectly preserved. What struck me the most were the many depictions of the torture and killing of Christians in this region which has an active volcano, and the great lengths that Japanese Christians went through to practice Christianity, even going as far as to mask Christian images and statues to look like those of the Buddhist faith. Due to the lack of foreign missionaries for many years, Christianity in Japan took on a new face and new images of Mary the mother of Christ and even Jesus himself were used in place of those well recognizable by the Roman Catholic Church.

Generally, it was a highly educative trip and entry into this castle cost 400 yen. I highly recommend a visit by castle enthusiasts, Japanese history enthusiasts, and even Christians.

A nice little castle to visit in the area. There are many exhibitions of early ages of Christian in Japan, back in 16th century. Definitely worth to spend a morning in to see and learn.

A bigger and nicer castle than I was expecting. You can also park next to the honmaru. I've been to 60 castles and ruins in Japan. This was a first. The staff there was super friendly.

Have to walk uphill to the castle.
Pathway is very neat and clean.
There is a museum inside the castle which is very well organized with ¥800 admission fee. But ¥640 for Sun-Q Pass holder.

It was a shame we were unable to see the actual castle as it was being renovated, but once to step inside and see the history on the walls and in the glass displays you will be glad you visited. Make sure you go all the way up and see every display, read about the rich history of the castle, and don't miss out on the area behind the castle it's beautiful. Oh and don't miss the show it's beautiful.

Quite a lot to see for a small area.

Each level of the castle has different themes of exhibition, ranging from the history of the region to music instruments etc. There is an observation deck at the top of the castle where you can have a good view of the surrounding area of the Shimbara Peninsula.

There are also some other exhibitions in towers around the main castle, with one being the artist, Seibo Kitamura, who designed the sculpture at the Nagasaki Peace. You can take a look at his sculptures.

Overall quite a lot to see. Also quite like the enthusiastic japanese guides who wear traditional clothing at the bottom of the main castle .

The castle is beautiful yes, but the surrounding garden is also amazing. From ume hana trees to kobai trees,it is very beautiful and aromatic. The entry prices are also affordable

I’d like to recommend a food truck which sells Takoyakki right before the castle. The owners were really nice enough to give me extra Takoyakki when I made a mistake in ordering😭😭 Takoyakki itself tasted really good too. I ate it about 20 minutes later, but it still was warm, soft with a big octopus piece in it.

Amazing Place to Re Visit the so called "MORITAKE" there are alot of christian artifacts that are stored telling the story of the Edo Period Banning Christianity there is an App that will be able to give translations in English and other languages

So many wonderful castle in japan😍🥰 I really like going and seeing castle because I’m always amazed🥰😍

Cool castle in impeccable shape. There is on site parking that cost 320¥ per car. We didn’t have enough time to go inside however it seemed like you had to pay an entrance fee. There was a musician by the front door wearing traditional Japanese outfit playing the flute. It was cool to walk around the castle and there are beautiful statues in the park. Highly recommended and can be a fun stop on the way to the ferry to Kumamoto.

Amazing castle with outstanding exhibits and descriptions about the history. Gorgeojs views of the area and beautiful surroundings!

Nice and quite castle. Very recommended visit here. Staff also very kind

Not to disappoint you, this castle is a reconstruction - but is picture perfect and houses a nice local museum. The top floor has a very cool 360° balcony with views of Mt Unzen on one side and the sea and Amakusa Islands on the other.

Gardens are really nice, too, and the souvenir has some really unusual themed souvenirs.

Very very good, not so famous but fully out of my expectation. Good preparation for coming 400 years anniversary and convenient design for foreigners with multiple languages provided by qr code scan. And all the introduction of history of shimabara is very detailed, got so much knowledge about the history, especially for the Christian history of shimabara, the Pope should do more for the Catholic people here.

Very beautiful castle.

Good museum in castle with exhibits about the Hidden Christians, and other exhibits related to that era. Use QR code to obtain explanations in other languages.

Very interesting and historical site. 600 yen to enter the castle. Small gift shop and restraints near by.

One of the most beautiful castles in Japan