Castles and Historic Sites

Hyogo Prefecture preserves a diverse architectural history, from the feudal fortifications of Takeda and Sasayama Castles to the Western-style districts of Kobe. Takeda Castle represents Sengoku-era mountain ruins, while Sasayama Castle showcases early Edo-period construction. In Kobe, the Kitano Ijinkan district and Kyu-Kyoryuchi 15-ban-kan highlight late 19th-century international influences, featuring preserved foreign residences and Japan’s only surviving original settlement building from the Meiji era, which was rebuilt after the 1995 earthquake.