Japanese Castles Let Down Their Guard

Ozu Castle and Hirado Castle, previously unavailable for nightly bookings, are rolling out the red carpet for guests.

- Christopher Cameron

IN 1853, FOLLOWING two centuries of near complete isolation, a fleet of US Navy ships forced Japan to open to trade at the point of a cannon. Yet certain aspects of the country have always remained off-limits, especially to outsiders and those who don’t speak the language. That has finally changed.

“The pandemic was tremendously impactful on tourism in Japan, especially in rural areas that relied heavily on it and had few other streams of income,” says Naomi Mano, founder and CEO of Japan-based hospitality and events-management agency Luxurique. “It motivated the government to take advantage of a huge opportunity when tourism returned. It offered grants to unique venues such as castles, temples, Japanese gardens and national parks.”