Uroze Castle

Uroze Castle [うろぜ莽; うろぜ・がり] is a castle located in the city of Ankan, Ganyama Prefecture. From the 8th century onwards, Uroze was home to the Mei clan and their descendants, until it was donated to the prefectural government as national property by its last owner. The Mei clan were the rulers of most of Ganyama Prefecture (or as it was formerly known, Honya Province) until the 1850s, when their control was taken away by the Kanaka administration in favour of uniting the prefectures under one government.
Although uroze is a vernacular Ganyaman word, roughly meaning 'blessing of the east', it was not changed to a standard Kantonese moniker by the government due to the fact that it was a building of great cultural and historical significance.
Uroze Castle is a fairly standard residential castle, more of a palace than anything, with very few defensive structures. However, the outer bailey was surrounded by a small moat. It was also made of a mixture of stone, clay and wood, which was an unusual combination for castles of the early Chisō period which were often made solely with stone. The castle also never had an imposing main keep, possibly to prevent appearing intimidating or overly aggressive.
Category:Castles & Forts