Recently we were tasked with scanning Odawara Castle, a massive heritage site in Japan, including every detail from courtyards and buildings down to a drawbridge and individual rivets on castle gates.

Odawara Castle was built more than 500 years ago, with fortifications first erected during the Kamakura period—a time famous for the emergence of the samurai and Japan’s first shogun.

The site’s illustrious walls are steeped in history. Situated on a hill and surrounded by a moat, the castle has strong fortifications, so it was coveted and fought over for generations. Three sieges of Odawara took place from 1561–1590, and the structure changed hands (and shape) multiple times over the next century as different leaders left their stamp on the property.

The entry to Odawara Castle, captured with Artec Jet 3D mapping.

 …