Samurai History Travel ── Field-Checked Guides
Field-checked guides to Japan’s samurai castles and battlefields.
The Japan you stand in today is the continuation of someone’s story. Find the castles, battlefields and warlord sites where it happened, see what still survives, and learn how to get there.
Every on-site guide is based on places we have personally visited. Access, admission fees, routes, and local conditions are published only after direct verification. Historical essays and analysis are grounded in sources and reference materials.
Start Here · General Guide
New to samurai history?
Choose where to go first.
Twelve sites — castles, battlefields, a samurai quarter and the shrines to Tokugawa Ieyasu — compared by what you can still see today, where to base yourself and how much time to allow.
Explore by Area
Castle ruins, battlefields, and historic sites organized by region, with access details, suggested routes, and highlights.
Explore by Historical Figure
Trace the places tied to warlords and other key figures through the castles they built, the battles they fought, and the sites where their stories unfolded.
Latest Guides
From castle ruins, historic sites, and places tied to warlords to historical explainers and drama analysis.
- Sannomaru Shozokan Guide: Tickets, Access and a Half-Day Route Through the East Gardens
- Daitokuji Exhibition in Tokyo: A Visitor’s Guide to Zen Treasures Linked to Nobunaga, Hideyoshi and Rikyu
- Ieyasu and the Toyotomi Regime: Shizuoka City History Museum Exhibition
- Shizuoka City Museum of History: A Visitor’s Guide to the Ieyasu Gallery, Tickets and Access
- Kuroshima, Usuki: Where William Adams Landed in Japan, and How to Get There
- NHK VR “Samurai’s Dream: The Ghosts of Osaka Castle” in Osaka | Venue Guide, Osaka Museum of History
※ On-site guides are based on places we have personally visited. Historical essays and analysis reference primary sources, historical materials, and relevant literature.
Drama × History
Coming from SHŌGUN or Taiga Drama?
Step into the history behind the drama.
Some characters and events in “SHŌGUN” echo real history, while others are composites or dramatized for storytelling. Use this guide to explore the historical context behind the series—and discover places connected to the era.
What This Site Stands For
Access details, routes, and local conditions in our site guides are based on places we have personally visited and checked on foot. Historical essays and analysis are grounded in sources and reference materials.
We clearly state whether a castle structure is an original Edo-period building or a later reconstruction. It is an important distinction that ordinary travel guides often overlook.
Each location features original 360° panoramic photography. Use it to preview a site before you visit—or to revisit the experience after you return home.
