Hanga

Castles Prints (199)

Japanese castles (shiro) in woodblock prints, from Himeji's soaring white walls to Osaka's imposing stone foundations. Castle prints document Japan's feudal architectural heritage, often depicted amid cherry blossoms, autumn foliage, or snow.

Artists Known for Castles

Nishikori castle by Okiie Hashimoto

Nishikori castle

Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)

Castle by Okiie Hashimoto

Castle

Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)

Hikone Castle in the snow by Okiie Hashimoto

Hikone Castle in the snow

Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)

Takamatsu Castle by Okiie Hashimoto

Takamatsu Castle

Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)

White heron castle by Okiie Hashimoto

White heron castle

Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)

Autumn castle by Okiie Hashimoto

Autumn castle

Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)

Nagoya castle in winter by Fumio Fujita

Nagoya castle in winter

Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)

Himeji Castle by Tsuji Kakō

Himeji Castle

姫路城図

1919

Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk

The Iron Bridge and Osaka Castle, from the series Famous New Places in Osaka (Hanfu shinmeisho) by Hasegawa Sadanobu II

The Iron Bridge and Osaka Castle, from the series Famous New Places in Osaka (Hanfu shinmeisho)

浪華新名所 鉄橋

1870

Color woodblock print with purple borders

Aoba Castle, Sendai (Sendai Aobajō), from the series Collection of Scenic Views of Japan, Eastern Japan Edition (Nihon fūkei shu higashi Nihon hen) by Kawase Hasui

Aoba Castle, Sendai (Sendai Aobajō), from the series Collection of Scenic Views of Japan, Eastern Japan Edition (Nihon fūkei shu higashi Nihon hen)

1933

Color woodblock print

Edinburgh Castle by Mabel Royds

Edinburgh Castle

1911

Colour woodcut on paper (printing ink on woodcut)

Act Four: Enya Hangan's Castle from the play Chushingura (Treasury of the Forty-seven Loyal Retainers) by Katsukawa Shun'ei

Act Four: Enya Hangan's Castle from the play Chushingura (Treasury of the Forty-seven Loyal Retainers)

c. 1795

Color woodblock print; koban

Takamatsu Castle, Sanuki (Sanuki no Takamatsujō), from the series Souvenirs of Travel, Second Series (Tabi miyage dai nishū) by Kawase Hasui

Takamatsu Castle, Sanuki (Sanuki no Takamatsujō), from the series Souvenirs of Travel, Second Series (Tabi miyage dai nishū)

1921, February

Woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Castle, Moon & Birds by Keiko Minami

Castle, Moon & Birds

Mastumoto Castle, Shinshu by Shiro Kasamatsu

Mastumoto Castle, Shinshu

1934

Color woodblock print

Night Scene Outside the Kamakura Castle with Bannai Attacking Kanpei, Act 3 from the series Treasury of the Forty-Seven Loyal Retainers (Kanadehon Chūshingura) by Katsushika Hokusai

Night Scene Outside the Kamakura Castle with Bannai Attacking Kanpei, Act 3 from the series Treasury of the Forty-Seven Loyal Retainers (Kanadehon Chūshingura)

1806

Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper

Lord Oda Nobunaga Viewing the Restoration of Kiyosu Castle (Oda Nobunaga ko Kiyosujo shuzen goran no zu) by Utagawa Yoshifuji

Lord Oda Nobunaga Viewing the Restoration of Kiyosu Castle (Oda Nobunaga ko Kiyosujo shuzen goran no zu)

織田信長公清洲城修繕御覧之図

1888 (printed posthumously)

Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper; oban triptych

Half-Moon Castle by Mishima Shōsō

Half-Moon Castle

半月城

1892

Color woodblock print

Actor Arashi Tokusaburō II (later Kitsusaburō II) as O-Karu with Onoe Kikugorō as Kampei, by Castle Moat in Night Scene (from Chūshingura) by Kitagawa Toyohide

Actor Arashi Tokusaburō II (later Kitsusaburō II) as O-Karu with Onoe Kikugorō as Kampei, by Castle Moat in Night Scene (from Chūshingura)

c. 1840

Color woodblock diptych (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper

Related Subjects

Frequently Asked Questions

Japanese castles (shiro) in woodblock prints, from Himeji's soaring white walls to Osaka's imposing stone foundations. Castle prints document Japan's feudal architectural heritage, often depicted amid cherry blossoms, autumn foliage, or snow.

Okiie Hashimoto, Kawase Hasui, and Hiroshi Yoshida are among the artists most associated with castles in our collection. Browse the full list of artists who explored this subject above.

Hanga currently catalogues 199 prints tagged with castles, spanning ukiyo-e, shin-hanga, and sōsaku-hanga traditions where applicable.