Japan's Historical Places Part 1

Taga Castle Ruin 

Remains of a Castle that Played a Central Offensive and Defensive Role in the Violent Struggle to Unify the Nation
The ruins of Taga Castle are the remains of an ancient fortress located in Tagajo City, Miyagi Prefecture in the center of Tohoku, the northeastern part of Japan.
It is particularly important as a historic site because the site is in a good state of preservation. Along with the remains of Heijo-kyo in Nara and the Fortress of Dazaifu, in Fukuoka, in Kyushu, Taga Castle ranks as one of Japan's three noted historic sites. It is a National Special Historical Site.

Taga Castle was set up in the first half of the 8th century to expand direct control by the central government into the northern part of Japan. It was a military base, and became the center of administration and culture in the Tohoku region.
In 802, the front line shifted roughly 100 km (about 62 miles) further north to Isawa (present-day Mizusawa City, Iwate Prefecture), where another castle was built. Although Taga Castle retained its administrative functions, it was no longer the center for military activities. With its authority diminished, the Taga Castle slowly lost its importance.
Taga Castle was built on a hillside to take good advantage of the local topography. The precincts cover 102 ha (255 acres). At the center there was a 100-meter-square walled compound that contained old government office and around this were workshops and storehouses. The perimeter of the compound of an irregular rectangular shape measures 3.4 km (about 2.1 miles) and used to be surrounded by walls 5 m (5.5 yd.) high.
About a kilometer southeast of the ruins is the site of the temple that served the occupants of the castle. Near the southern front of the castle are the remains of what was a planned settlement.
At present, you can clearly see the restored foundations of the castle buildings at the site, which is maintained as a historical park. There is the Tohoku History Museum which has opened in autumn 1999.(Source : http://web-japan.org/atlas/historical/histr_fr.html)

Dazaifu Ruins

Western Fortress City that Played an Important Role as a Base for Diplomacy and Trade with Continental Asia 
The ruins of Dazaifu lie in Dazaifu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, in the northern part of Kyushu in the southwest of Japan. Here on the southern slopes of Mt. Ono are the remains of what was once a walled city built in open fields. Along with the site of Heijo-kyo in Nara and the ruins of Taga Castle in Miyagi, it is one of Japan's three noted historical sites.
Before the fortress was built, a diplomatic office was established in 536 to receive and send domestic and overseas delegations.
In 663, the Dazaifu government office, known as Tofuro, was established. The central government made it responsible for supervising the whole of the Kyushu region in the southwest of Japan and handling defense against East Asian countries, and foreign relations with them. In association with this there was large-scale urban development. For example, a huge defensive embankment, 1.2 km (about 0.7 miles) long and 13 m (about 14 yd.) high was raised, and a fortress was built, surrounded by an earth and stone embankment that measures 6.5 km (about 4 miles) around the circumference. The city complex that was built was about one third the size of the later capital of Heijo-kyo in Nara.
For a while in the 8th century, as a center of political, economic, cultural, and religious life, the Dazaifu's influence rivaled that of the central government. After this peak, Dazaifu declined and by the second half of the 12th century it was famous in name only.
Today, the area around the ancient ruins has been made into a park.
Many historical ruins remain today such as the ruins of the embankment built in the 7th century and pillars from foundation stone that measure 1 m (1.1 yd.) across, and remind us how large the building in the center of Dazaifu was.
Moreover, Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine is dedicated to the god of learning to whom many people pray for academic success.