In Japanese mythology, a gigantic catfish living underground causes earthquakes. The ruins of Shigetsu Castle’s stone walls lie further north of the location where the city’s cultural property ...

Hitoshi Nakai, professor emeritus of the history of Japanese castles at the University of Shiga Prefecture, said, “It is miracle that a stone wall of this size was unearthed.” “It is certain ...

Japanese fire fighters battled ... and has been designated a national treasure. The castle was destroyed during World War Two, and its main hall was reconstructed in the decades that followed.

[8] Today, the site is still a park. The stone foundations are a hint as to what the castle once looked like. A survey of local people in 2011 determined that most wanted the castle to be rebuilt ...