Kochi Castle was originally built in 1603 on the order of Yamauchi Katsutoyo, lord of the Tosa domain. Although it burned down in a massive fire in 1727, the current castle tower was rebuilt in 1749, and is one of Japan’s only 12 surviving castle keeps that date back to the Edo Period or earlier. Fifteen structures at Kochi Castle, including its tower and the Otemon main gate, have been designated by the national government as important cultural properties. Kochi Castle is Japan’s only castle where you can capture both its main gate and main tower in a single photograph.