OVERVIEW

During the 14th century the family ruling the Shimabara Peninsula constructed a castle named ‘Hinoe-jo’. Harunobu, the 14th lord (1597 – 1612) was a Christian daimyo and refurbished his castle into a large-scale structure with gardens, a tea arbor and many rooms. Stone walls remain around the site of the front gate.

A recent survey has revealed that the construction materials including the stone steps were acquired from tombstones in Buddhist graveyards which Harunobu had demolished. This indicated the religious situation in those days, when Christianity was flourishing. In 1982, the location of the castle was designated a National Historical Site.