Site of Namaike Fort

Built by the Matsuura Band, a group of samurai merchants and pirates who controlled much of northwestern Kyushu in the 1500s, Namaike Fort sits on a hilltop in central Iki Island. The main compound covers a flattened 150-by-100-meter area protected by three rings of earthworks and a double dry moat. Its four narrow entrance bridges were positioned in plain view to funnel attackers into tight spaces where defenders could strike from above. The moat and bridges survive almost entirely intact today, and sections of the original walls are still visible near the hilltop. It is a short walk from the nearby parking lot.