Hara Castle

Hara Castle (原城) was a Japanese castle in Hizen Province. During the Shimabara Rebellion (1637–1638), rebellious peasants were besieged there.

As a result of the Shimabara Rebellion in 1637, the Shogunate decided to expel the Portuguese from Japan. The Dutch, meanwhile, gained the trust of the authorities after they bombarded Hara Castle, where the insurgents had taken refuge, and thus gained a monopoly on European trade with Japan.