En un regard
Le château en bref
Perched on Mount Kii, on the border between Fukuoka and Saga, Kii fortress guards the south of Dazaifu. It was built in 665 on the orders of the Yamato court, which feared an invasion after the defeat at Hakusukinoe, with the help of exiles from Baekje. The circuit, about 3.9 km long and covering some sixty hectares, encloses three valleys: earthen embankments run along the ridges, while stone walls close off the valley floors. To the north, the water gate, whose drainage opening is among the largest in Japan, was restored between 2009 and 2015. Excavations have revealed buildings on stone foundations, probably storehouses, as well as roof tiles and pottery. The fortress was repaired in 698, then abandoned before the end of the Nara period. Rediscovered in 1912, it has been a Special Historic Site since 1954.