Hamamatsu Castle

Ieyasu Tokugawa, the first Shogun of the Tokugawa family, built Hamamatsu Castle about 400 years ago. The Tokugawa family ruled Japan for 300 years. The castle is also called Shusse-jo or Castle of Success because each lord who lived there gained higher status in the government in later years.

The castle was destroyed by fire at the end of the 19th century and rebuilt. Notice in the picture above that the castle sits on a rock formation. The rock foundation, known as the "Norzura-zumi" has survived severe weather for over 400 years.