A Journey Through Castle Towns: A Place Where History and Food Culture Live

What Are Castle Towns: Their Origins and Structure

Castle towns refer to cities formed around the castles of feudal lords from the medieval period through the early modern era. It is believed that over 200 such towns existed throughout Japan, and many have continued to inherit their unique cultures and landscapes even after the Meiji Restoration. The streets of castle towns were deliberately designed to be complex to prevent invasion by outside enemies, and L-shaped intersections called "kagi-no-te" (key-shaped turns) and plaza-like intersections called "masugata" (square-shaped) remain scattered throughout. Simply walking while being conscious of these structures brings a sudden three-dimensionality to one's stroll through the town.

The land divisions of castle towns, with clear demarcation between samurai estates, merchant quarters, and temples and shrines, are often reflected as-is in today's urban areas, and the pleasure of walking while comparing old and modern maps is incomparable. Cities like Kanazawa, Hirosaki, Matsue, Kochi, and Hagi, which are known as "castle towns" today, all retain this basic structure quite distinctly, making them rare places where one can experience the spatial essence of the Edo period in virtually unchanged form.

Kanazawa: The Food Culture and Aesthetic Sensibility of the Million-Koku Domain

Among castle towns, Kanazawa, the castle town of the Kaga domain's million-koku region, stands out for the richness of its food culture. To reduce the burden of sankin-kotai (the practice of feudal lords traveling to Edo), the Kaga domain minimized travel to and from Edo, channeling those resources instead into culture, performing arts, and cuisine. As a result, "Kaga cuisine," which is also called one of Japan's three greatest cuisines alongside Kyoto and Osaka, developed uniquely.

**Jibu-ni**, a representative local dish of Kanazawa, is a bowl made with duck meat dusted in kudzu starch and simmered in dashi broth, combined with bamboo-woven wheat gluten and lily root. When placed in the mouth, the tender texture carries the umami of duck, allowing you to experience Kaga's refined gustatory aesthetics. It is served at restaurants and kaiseki establishments around Higashi-chaya Street, making it a dish worth enjoying on the first evening of your trip.

Omicho Market, with a history of approximately 300 years, is Kanazawa's kitchen. Fresh seafood is abundant, and in particular, the winter Koshako crab (female snow crab) attracts connoisseurs from across the country as a delicacy found only in this location. Eating a seafood rice bowl while listening to the conversations of local people in the market's food hall is an experience unique to a castle town journey.

Hagi and Matsue: Comparing Two Castle Towns in Sanin

In the Sanin region, there are two castle towns with distinct characteristics: Hagi (Yamaguchi Prefecture), the castle town of the Mori clan, and Matsue (Shimane Prefecture), the castle town of the Matsudaira clan.

Hagi is known for the history of producing many figures of the late Bakumatsu period. The former residences of Yoshida Shoin and Kido Takayoshi still stand today, allowing visitors to feel the spirit of those who became the driving force of the Meiji Restoration. In the northern part of the castle town, there is the "Horiuchi district," lined with samurai estates, where the landscape of white plaster walls combined with natsumikan (summer mandarin) trees possesses a unique beauty found nowhere else in Japan. Hagi ware kilns are scattered throughout the area, providing an excellent environment to experience the world of tea ceramics that, while simple, has great depth.

On the other hand, **Matsue** is also called the "Water City," with Lake Shinji and the Horikawa Canal that connects to it running vertically and horizontally through the city. A pleasure boat tour along the Horikawa Canal is ideal for grasping the overall image of the castle town, and the dramatic lowering of the roof when passing under bridges enhances the sense of travel. Indispensable to discussing Matsue's food culture are the Shinji Lake Seven Delicacies: seven varieties of clams, sea bass, grass shrimp, eel, sweetfish, carp, and icefish, and local dishes skillfully using these are still served today at long-established restaurants.

How to Walk Through Castle Towns: Travel Tips and Mindset

The most important thing when traveling through a castle town is to **make walking the center of your journey**. The charm of castle towns lies in the accumulation of details: the corners of alleyways, the texture of stone-paved streets, the light filtering through latticed windows. These can never be felt from a bus or car. I strongly recommend rising early and beginning your walk during hours when tourists are still few. In the moment when someone cleaning sweeps the noren curtain, in the sound of a tofu vendor arranging their wares, the true face of the castle town dwells in these everyday scenes.

When lodging, choose a long-established inn within the castle town. Historic inns carry stories told by the buildings themselves. Though simple in appearance, stepping into the inner rooms may overwhelm you with the architectural beauty of the craftsmen's skill shining throughout. Moreover, stories from the inn's proprietor or matriarch are invaluable sources of information not found in any guidebook.

When choosing souvenirs, be mindful of products rooted in the region's primary industries. From Kanazawa, consider Kaga roasted tea or confections using gold leaf; from Hagi, marmalade made with natsumikan or small Hagi ware plates; from Matsue, Japanese confections (Matsue has been renowned as the "city of sweets" since the Edo period). Participating, however modestly, in the economic cycle that connects regional producers and consumers is also part of the essence of travel.

The Meaning of Traveling Through Castle Towns

Walking through a castle town is not simply an act of sightseeing at old buildings. It is an experience of feeling the chain of history that continues into the present with your own body, and of surrendering yourself to a flow of time different from modern daily life. Occasionally putting away your smartphone map and having the courage to walk forward without knowing what lies at the end of an alley enriches your castle town journey.

Even as these places become increasingly touristy, the essential charm of castle towns lies in their vitality as living places. When you can see the faces of the people who live there, when conversation emerges, when food is shared, then a journey becomes truly rich. On your next vacation, I encourage you to venture into the alleyways of a castle town.