Japanes castles?

Question

Their interior seem to be made of wood. Isn't that quite dangerous for feudal lords to live in there because there is always a risk of fire?

Answer 1

Being built totally of stone didn't do some European castles much good, did it?
http://www.mysticalcreations.org/Corfe%20Castle%20ruin%20WM%20.JPG
http://www.cefnpennar.com/magor/castle_ruin.jpg

The exterior of Japanese castles is VERY solid - and the wooden interior is capable of being rebuilt easily.

In the days when people USED castles, possessions were very few and easily portable. So if there WAS a fire, everyone would just grab what they could and get out - leaving just spare clothing and a few odds and ends behind. And the stone European castles weren't immune to fire either - even when the only furnishings were rushes on the floor and straw pallets as mattresses there were still plenty of things to burn. Including the livestock - which in many cases were running around the lower parts of the building, waiting to trip you up if you needed to escape..!

Answer 2

If you know the truth, the wooden building structures are provides better thermal control than of concreate. Since the Japan climate is some times extreme and even snowfall is very common every year. The thermal control of houses, palaces and the castles are mandatory. Not like those of modern age you get heaters and coolers based on the season.

However there is always a risk of fire, but that is secondary. If you know even the most advanced contries like USA or UK also still uses wooden structures for their civil works, especially building houses for the thermal protection requirement. Hope this is solves your doubt.

Answer 3

Your thinking of the donjon - the keep - which was the sometimes the residential place of the lord and the last resort in a siege.

Surrounding the keep were stout stone walls with sturdy gatehouses and gatetowers. Generally this is where the battle for the castle would take place. Many earlier castles were built on hill and mountain tops to take advantage of the natural terrian. Later castle were built in the plain and were more for visible administration.

Japanese did not use the type of siege weapons as were used in Europe. They would attack the castle gates and walls, use fire, use stealth and trickery, or starve the castle into submission. A number of castles fell to starvation.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi had a novel way of taking castles - by flooding them. But Odawara castle of the powerful Hojo family, he built a siege city outside the walls and waited.

Here's a pic of one of my favorite castles - Matsumoto-jo also known as the Crow Castle for its black color:
http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/4149/p1010094mm0.jpg

Answer 4

Usually, when battled, the castle would be the last resort in Japan.
And the castle is surrounded by many layers of stone walls and a few moats.
In the Samurai era, the General brought more than 10,000 soldiers usually. The opponent usually place many spies and watch dogs everywhere. And sudden attack was thought little cowardly strategy for Samurais.
So that most battles was started in the field first.

http://www.pref.kagawa.jp/kocho/sanukino/2004/autumn/images/05_01.jpg
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k228/_files/hori.jpg
http://blog.so-net.ne.jp/_images/blog/hitotubude2dois/1290210.jpg

There are tons of earthquake in Japan. To build tall castles, wood was good material for them.

Answer 5

Japanese people to this day are careful about fires to this day due to the structures they live in. Some neighborhoods still have a volunteer fire watch every evening, and ashtrays tend to have water in them. The outside of a castle was sheathed with rock and plaster so that flaming arrow, etc. attacks could not succeed. That being said some castles did burn, but usually after being breached.

Answer 6

Yes, it was dangerous and many burned down. Most that were rebuilt after WWII were rebuilt in concrete but Nagoya Castle was rebuilt with some of the interior timbers to show the original construction.

Answer 7

DONT KNOW