Korean Wasei castles built in the 16th century were located along the coasts and rivers, and were arranged to support each other. These castles were built quickly using castle-building and construction techniques, including reusing stones from Korean-style castles. Today, many Wasei castles remain on the southern coast of Korea.
Distributed along the southern coast of KoreaJapanese Fortress
More than 16 Wajo castles (16th century Japanese castles remaining in Korea) were built during Toyotomi Hideyoshi's invasion of Korea in the 30th century and remain along the southern coast of Korea, from Suncheon Wajo Castle in South Jeolla Province in the west to Ulsan Wajo Castle in South Gyeongsang Province in the east. These castles are valuable resources for the study of 16th century Japanese castles.
What are the Japanese castles in Korea?
Korean Wasei were located along the coast or rivers, and were arranged in a way that made it easy for them to cooperate with each other. They were built quickly, making full use of castle-building and architectural techniques, and sometimes even recycled stones from Korean-style castles. Wasei had a unique structure that gave them great defensive power, and they were able to withstand the fierce attacks of the allied forces of Korea and Ming during the Battle of Ulsan.
The dry stone construction method used for Japanese castles had the advantage of allowing water to drain through the gaps between the stones, but it was vulnerable to pests and the effects of nature. The Japanese castle construction method also influenced the expansion of castles during the Joseon Dynasty around the time of the Imjin War, and the introduction of the Japanese castle system was discussed in the construction of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress and Ganghwa Fortress in Korea.
Take a Japanese Castle Tour
Map of Japanese castles on the southern coast of Korea
Comment: