“For most of the Edo Period, [Wakayama Castle] was the administrative center of Kishū Domain, which was controlled by a cadet branch of the Tokugawa clan. Due to its size and status, Wakayama Castle was ranked as one of the most important castles under the Tokugawa shogunate. The castle was designated a National Historic Site in 1931, and its Nishi-no-Maru Garden was designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty in 1987.”