Protecting the Foundations of Tokushima Castle

I admire the Japanese dedication to preservation of historical sites and monuments. I appreciate being able to visit historical sites and to see the structures as they existed in years and centuries past — either in their original form or in a restored condition.

Fortunately, the Japanese government (national and local) takes care to preserve many important sites, and the Japanese people respect and appreciate those sites as well. (I rarely see trash on the ground in Japan, and graffiti and other forms of defacement of property are rare as well.)

You can see this care at work on the fortifications of Tokushima Castle. These fortifications date from the 16th century, when the castle was built atop a hill in Tokushima, on the island of Shikoku, Japan.

Today, the fortifications are covered with wire to prevent them from decaying or tumbling down- protecting visitors and the historical site:

Tokushima Castle Foundations

Nearby, the more stable portions of the fortifications still stand alone, without reinforcing wire:

Growth on Tokushima Castle Foundations

I appreciate the number and variety of historical sites that are open to visitors in Japan. I could go back a thousand times and never see them all . . . but I’m game to try!