Why are Some Samurai Castle Walls White and Others Black?
The Reasons are Surprisingly Simple
Why do some samurai castles have black walls and others have white walls? According to some, it was a difference that distinguished between the Toyotomi clan, who are said to have constructed castles with black walls, and the Tokugawa, who often built white walled castles. But this isn’t quite correct. Certainly, many Toyotomi related castles did indeed have black walls. In fact, the earliest castle keeps were mostly developed by Oda Nobunaga, and from then on as Nobunaga’s vassals built their own castle’s tower keeps — symbols of authority and might — Nobunaga was consulted on the design. Later when Toyotomi Hideyoshi had taken the nation’s helm, he too would have the final say on the design of his vassals’ constructions.