Tsuruga Castle Coloring Pages

The Only Castle in Japan with a Red Roof

Tsuruga Castle in Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture, has a red roof. There are many castles in Japan, but this is the only one with a red castle tower roof! You cannot see this mix of bright white walls and reddish-brown roof tiles at any other castle. Its official name is Wakamatsu Castle, and people also call it Aizuwakamatsu Castle.

Red Tiles Built to Survive Aizu's Cold Winters

Why is the roof red? It is not just for looks—it is actually to stay safe from the cold! Winters in Aizu are very cold. Water gets inside normal roof tiles, freezes, and makes the tiles break! So, people used strong tiles coated with a special glaze before baking them. This glaze had iron in it, which turned them reddish-brown when baked. Records show these red tiles were placed on the roof around 1648.

The Name "Tsuruga Castle" Came from Gamo Ujisato

This castle was first called Kurokawa Castle. A samurai warrior named Gamo Ujisato changed its name. Ujisato changed the town's name from "Kurokawa" to "Wakamatsu." In 1593, he built a big castle tower and named it "Tsuruga Castle." People say he chose the name "Wakamatsu" from a place called "Wakamatsu no Mori" near where he was born.

Small Windows Lining Pure White Walls

The walls of Tsuruga Castle are pure white plaster from top to bottom. They do not have black wooden walls like Kumamoto Castle or Matsumoto Castle. If you look closely, can you see small square holes all over the white walls? These are called sama. They were used to aim guns and bows at enemies outside. They were not for decoration—they were built for battle!

The Castle That Never Fell

During the Boshin War in 1868, Tsuruga Castle was surrounded by the new government's army and shot with cannons over and over. Even so, the army could never get inside the castle! After fighting from inside for a month, the Aizu clan accepted defeat and gave up the castle. Because nobody ever conquered it, people praise it as an unbeatable, famous castle.

Today's Castle Tower Was Rebuilt

The castle tower you see today was actually taken down in the early Meiji period. All the castle buildings were removed, so there was no castle tower for a long time. Today's castle tower was rebuilt with reinforced concrete in 1965. The outside was built to look just like it did long ago!

The roof is reddish-brown. This is the best part to show off!

If you color Tsuruga Castle, start with a reddish-brown roof. Not bright red, but a slightly dull red, like layering red over brown, is just right. If you make it gray, it will look like any other castle. The roof covers the biggest area, so if you color it lightly and evenly without pushing hard, it will turn out beautiful!

Leave the white walls plain!

The walls are pure white plaster, so it looks best if you do not color them and leave them white. After you color the roof red, leaving the walls white makes the shape pop right out! If you want to add a little color, just brush on a very light gray or cream color gently. For the little square holes on the walls, color only those parts dark to make them stand out!

Make the top floor railing dark

The railing going all the way around the top floor is a darkish color on the real castle. If you color this dark, it puts a bold line right in the middle of the white building, making your picture look super sharp! Leaving the spaces between the fence posts white makes the gaps look realistic!

Cherry blossoms are light pink. You do not have to color them all

The second and third sheets have cherry blossoms in full bloom! Color the blossoms a light pink softly without pushing hard. You do not need to color every blossom. If you leave some flowers white here and there, they look like light is hitting them, making it look even prettier! If you color the branches thin with dark brown, the pink will stand out even more!

From Black Tiles to Red Tiles. Re-tiling After 45 Years

Actually, until recently, the roof of Tsuruga Castle had black tiles. In March 2011, the roof tiles were replaced for the first time in 45 years, changing from black tiles to red tiles. This work was done to bring back how it looked near the end of the Edo period. That is why photos taken before then show Tsuruga Castle with a black roof, different from how it looks now!

The Castle Keep Was Originally Seven Stories High

It is said that when Gamou Ujisato built the castle keep, it was seven stories high—much taller than it is today. After earthquakes and rebuilding, it became five stories high, just like it is now. If it had stayed seven stories high, it might have been one of the tallest castles in all of Japan!

Enemies Could Never Get Inside the Castle

During the Boshin War, the New Government forces attacked Tsuruga Castle with new weapons like cannons. Even so, they could not fight their way inside the castle. The Aizu Clan handed over the castle not because they lost it in battle, but because they decided to surrender on their own. Standing strong during this one-month siege is why Tsuruga Castle is called "unbreakable."