Celebrate Fukuyama Castle’s 400 year anniversary with these special edition tote bags

Ahead of the celebration of it’s 400th year anniversary (2022), Fukuyama castle is releasing a special tote bag or ‘my bag’ in collaboration with Hiroshima Toyo Carp baseball club.

With retail stores implementing a charge on all plastic shopping bags across the country from July 1st, the city of Fukuyama has been focusing on promoting more environmentally friendly alternatives.
The bag features a design of a hiroshima ‘carp boy’ adorning the armor of Katsunari Mizuno – the first lord of the Bingo Province, Fukuyama Clan.
A proportion of the sales received will be given to the Fukuyama Castle 400th year Anniversary fund, which helps to pay for the upkeep of the castle and for any future renovations.

Photo by bethom33 | CC by SA 2.0

Located centrally on the coast of the Seto Inland Sea, Fukuyama city boasts good connections to the rest of the country, with the highway nearby and easy access via the ‘Nozomi’ Shinkansen. The city has a population of around 470,000 people.

The city can be enjoyed across all of the four seasons, with its mild temperature and blessed views of the sea, mountains and rivers.
Fukuyama is full of historical spots such as the 400 year old Fukuyama Castle and Myōō-in Temple, which houses two national treasures. The city has been nicknamed ‘The Town of Roses’, after the 100 million roses that bloom annually across its domain.
The city’s prosperous port, Tomonoura, is possibly the area's most well known beauty spot, with its ancient era architecture preserved despite the introduction of modern port facilities.

Fukuyama is known as a manufacturing city, and relies heavily on its various industries that produce steel and textiles. Amongst some of the most popular exports from the city is denim fabrics, which are valued for their high quality and are used by some of the world’s top brands.

The Castle

The construction of Fukuyama Castle was completed in 1622, under the orders of Katsunari Mizuno, who had become the first lord of the Bingo-Fukuyama domain 3 years prior.
The architecture of the castle was on a grand scale, with a six-floor main tower and residential areas that resembled the structures of a Japanese imperial palace.
The main tower of the castle was destroyed by an air raid in 1945, but was reconstructed in 1966 thanks to donations made from local residents. The castle continues to take donations from tourists today, in order to help the upkeep of its structure and grounds.

A durable canvas tote bag made in collaboration with Fukuyama Castle and Hiroshima Toyo Carp. The bag can fit A4 sized documents and comes with long handles that allow it to be worn comfortably on the shoulder.

Size: 360 x 370 x 110 (mm)
Handle length: 25 x 560 (mm)
Capacity: Approximately 10 Litres
Material: Cotton
Price: 1,500 YEN

Celebrate the long history of Fukuyama Castle with your own anniversary collaboration bag. Purchases can be made online here.

By - Connie Sceaphierde.