The castles of Japan are both technical and aesthetic marvels. They are tecnhical marvels in that they are perfectly suited to their roles of defensive fortresses and administrative centers in time of war. They are aesthetic marvels in that every curve and line reflects an extraordinary sense of beauty. How these castles came about, how they were built, and what their ultimate fate was, all this is depicted in sensitive prose and eye-opening photography.

The great period of castle building in Japan occurred in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, when powerful lords such as Oda Nobunga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu were striving to unite the nation. This was the time of the famous swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, who fought on the losing side in one of the decisive battles of this era. Over a hundred awe inspiring casltes were constructed in a short forty years.

The book gives not only the background to this era, but also details the essental elements of caslte construction, such as location, layout, walls, moats, towers, storehouses, gates, shooting holes, and more. Each of these elements is described and illsutrated in such a way as to etch the on the mind.

Last is the question of why the samurai of that time took such pains to make their castles things of beauty rather than unadorned, utilitarian strongholds. The answer to this question is found in the fact that the samurai were more than simple fighting men; they were also men of culture who had the power and the resources to express their aesthetic tastes even in the construction of castles.

Writen in sharp, clear prose, illustrated wth powerful, full-color photographs, Castles of the Samurai is the perfect introduction to one of Japan's greatest architectural achievements. The book also contains a weath of practical information for tourists who plan to visit the sites of the surviving catles.

David Green is a graduate in applied science with master's degrees in business administration and military history. The author of numerous articles on World War II and a keen photographer, his interest in Japanese castles began while he was teaching at a Japanese senior high school. He is married to Jennifer Mitchelhill and lives in Melbourne, Australia.

Jennifer Mitchelhill is a marketing graduate who started her own business in design before commencing further studies in architectural history. While teaching English at a Japanese senior high school she undertook a research project on the rebilding of Kanazawa castle. This book grew out of her research. She lives in Melbourne with her husband, David Green, and their son, Harvey.

Contents

Preface
Introduction
Color plates
Part One Who built the castles and why?
Samurai, daimyo, and the shogun
Why were the castles built?
Part Two The castle as fortress
Location
Layout
Stone walls and moats
Castle buildings
The main tower
Towers, storehouses, mud walls, and gates
Part Three The beauty of he castle
The aesthetic warrior
The Azuchi-Momoyama style
Part Four The fate of the Japanese castle
Appendices
Castles, domains, and income in the Edo Period, 1848
Forty-five castles to visit
Glosary
Acknowledgments
Index