Fukuoka City plans to collaborate with the Agency for Cultural Affairs to conduct the first-ever academic excavation to investigate whether Fukuoka Castle had a main tower. Built by Kuroda Nagamasa, the first lord of the Fukuoka Domain during the Edo period, the castle currently lacks any physical remains or direct historical records proving the existence of a main tower, leading to long-standing debate among historians.
The planned excavation will focus on the castle’s main tower foundation and its surrounding areas, a section that has never been explored in previous surveys. To date, more than 80 investigations have been carried out on other parts of the castle site. The new investigation follows local interest in restoring the castle as a tourist attraction, spurred by a committee formed by the Fukuoka Chamber of Commerce earlier this year, which urged the city to develop the site while ensuring historical accuracy due to its designation as a national historic site.
Fukuoka City officials emphasize that, as the castle ruins are a nationally protected site, any plans for restoration must be carefully coordinated with the Agency for Cultural Affairs. The city intends to use this excavation as a step forward in resolving the historical debate and potentially enhancing the site’s cultural and tourism value. Source: NHK
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