Kurushima Castle (Ehime Prefecture) Complete Guide: The Charm of the Murakami Suigun’s Maritime Fortress and the Castle Spread Across the Entire Island
What is Kurushima Castle?: Japan’s Largest Pirate Base
Kurushima Castle is a rare island castle in Japan, built on the entire island of Kurushima, a small island with a circumference of approximately 850 meters, located off the coast of Hatohama Bay in Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture. Situated in the Kurushima Strait, known for its rapid currents in the Seto Inland Sea, it served as the base of the Kurushima Murakami clan, a branch of the Murakami Suigun (Murakami Naval Force), controlling a crucial point for maritime traffic from the Nanboku-cho period to the Sengoku period.
In April 2016, it was designated a Japan Heritage site: “Japan’s Largest Pirate Base: Geiyo Islands – The Revival of the Murakami Pirates.”
