Hirado Castle stands on a hill guarding Hirado Port and the Hirado Strait, which used to be part of an important trade route between Japan and the Asian mainland. The original fortress was built in 1599 by the local Matsura Lord; however, he destroyed the structure after fighting the Tokugawa on the losing side of the Battle of Sekigahara as a gesture of loyalty to the victor. The Matsura Clan continued ruling Hirado for the next two and a half centuries.A new castle (also known as Kameoka Castle) was built on the site a hundred years later in 1718 as part of the coastal defenses erected during Japan’s self imposed seclusion in the Edo Period. This structure stood for over 150 years, but eventually fell into disrepair and was dismantled during the Meiji Period. Today, the Kitakoguchi-mon Gate and the Tanuki Yagura watch tower are the only original structures still standing.
