Samurai Castle Dobei Walls

Often Overlooked, but Vitally Important, Built with Defense First and Foremost in Mind.

Most visitors to samurai castles concentrate only on the tower keeps, yagura watchtowers, and recently, inceasingly on the gates or the stone walls, but still very few look at the important dobei, the walls atop the stone parapets around the various compounds.  Dobei walls are the most commonly built structural features at castles. These protective and defensive walls made of hard-pasted earth supported within a wooden frame, were designed to strengthen the castle's defenses while also serving as counter-attack structures.