Shiro ( Japanese castle) Vol. 2 Gate

1st gate with moat (outside)


Gate "Hishi" (outside)


Gate "Hishi" (inside)


Gate "I" (outside)

Gate "I" (inside)

Gate "Nu" (outside)

Gate "Nu" (inside)

The last gate (door of the castle)

Castle Gates

There are 21 gates in the castle area. There were 84 gates in the past. Attacking enemies would have to pass through more than 10 gates from the outer area of the moat before reaching the main building. The outside of the gate area are widened and shaped in an L-pattern. Enemies would have to pass the inner part of the L to reach the gate, but they would be attacked from all sides from the safety of high arrow-slits on the walls and murder holes where rocks or liquid could be dropped on them.Some gates feature another type of defense.

Some gates (gate Nu) have stone stairs and stone walls that slope down towards the gate on the inside. If enemies reached the front of the gate, defenders could break the stone stairs and put the stones behind the doors of the gate. This way the enemies could not breach the gate easily. The only way to pass the gate would be to break the door down first and then remove the stones. In this time the defenders could continue shooting them from above the gate.