Takashima Castle

Suwa, Japan

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Takashima Castle, located in Suwa, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, was originally built on a peninsula extending into Lake Suwa, using the lake as part of its natural moat. Constructed mainly between 1592 and 1598 by Hineno Takayoshi, a daimyo under Toyotomi Hideyoshi, it served as the seat of the Suwa clan, who were the feudal lords of the Takashima Domain. The castle had a strategic design where only the shoreline side required strong defenses because of the lake.

Over time, sedimentation caused the lake to recede, and the castle became landlocked and currently sits in the middle of the modern city of Suwa. Most original structures were dismantled in the late 19th century, but some parts such as the moat remain preserved. A reconstructed donjon and some gates were built in 1970. The castle is sometimes called "The Floating Castle of Suwa" due to its original island-like position in the lake.

Today, the site is a public park with a Japanese garden and the castle reconstruction houses a museum. The castle is historically significant as a water castle and was associated with notable samurai clans during Japan's feudal period.