Kokura Castle has more going on then just the main castle keep. There are some charming small shrines and monuments on the grounds to discover as well as a beautiful wooden temple next door. What was really nice though was that it wasn’t too crowded on the grounds. It was fairly easy to get the shots I wanted, free of bystanders.
These photos are highly edited, but for structures with so much charm I like to give them a timeless feel. How do you think I did?
I didn’t find much information about the castle grounds on my visit, but one thing I do know is that if the weather on August 8th, 1945 had been different, they wouldn’t be around to enjoy today. A little known fact about Kokura is that it was the original target of the atomic bomb dubbed “Fat Man”. Due to cloudy weather and smoke billowing in, the target was changed to Nagasaki. After having visited both the Nagasaki and Hiroshima memorials and having seen the complete devastation of those cities in the museums, it’s a strange feeling to be somewhere and know how close it came to owning that fate.
I like the de-saturated glow in these photos. Very atmospheric for the subject matter.
Thanks Kris! Good to hear from you.