If you have been following along for a while, it should come as no surprise to you that I love Japanese castles! If you’ve missed the articles and IG posts until now, you may have seen the running tally of how many I’ve been to on the home page for Kristen Abroad. There are so many Japanese castles to visit, where do you start? While there are many not in this category I’d also recommend, if you have limited time for Japanese castle exploration, you really should start with 12 original Japanese castles remaining.

[Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in January of 2019 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.]

Disclosure: Kristenabroad.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs. For some links to products or services in this article, I may earn a small commission by you using my link.  The price for you is not affected.

現存12天守 Quick Japanese Lesson

While it’s time-consuming thanks to my level of Japanese, I love doing research in Japanese. Though I still owe a debt of gratitude to Wanikani and the Minna no Nihongo series, along with so many other Japanese resources ( including my Japanese sensei at conversation classes)!

The 12 original Japanese castles are actually referring to the original Japanese castle keeps which in Japanese are usually referred to as 現存12天守. And because Japanese fascinates me, you get a quick lesson ;).

• 天守 = Tenshu, or castle tower. This term refers to the main castle keep as in Japanese castle design there are normally other towers on the complex as well. It is also sometimes referred to as “天守閣” or tenshukaku.
• 現存 = Genzon or “existing”. While that is true, they ARE existing, the English makes that somewhat confusing as there are other “Existing” Japanese castles that have been more recently re-constructed.

That said, when you see “the existing 12 Japanese castle keeps”, in Japanese they are referring to the Edo-period and older castles.

National Treasures, Important Cultural Properties, and Other titles

Most of the 12 have multiple designated titles of importance. Japan likes lists of 3 and 100. They all are considered as part of the 100 finest castles of Japan but there’s more that make these the Japanese castles to visit.

We’ll start with world clout. Himeji Castle was designated as Japan’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Nationwide, five of the 12 are considered National Treasures: Hakone, Himeji, Inuyama, Matsue, and Matsumoto. I like to call Inuyama the most pretentious of the bunch. In the other 11 castles, there is a reference to all 12 castles (usually in pictures lining the overhead of the lookout area of the castle). Inuyama? Just shows the five that are designated as National Treasures.

The other 7 are designated “only” as Important Cultural Properties. However, most all are part of the さくら名所100選 (100 Famous Sakura Places – there’s actually 134 locations, we like lists of 100 but they aren’t always exactly 100).

Which is the oldest of the 12 original Japanese castles

I think the funniest is that at least three of them claim “I’m the oldest” somewhere on their property. Keep a lookout for signs, the first one I was at that I saw “oldest” I was so excited. Then I saw it at another and was like, wait a second…

Inuyama is one of them. Hence back to my pretentious joke.

If you go solely by when they were originally made Bitchu-Matsuyama wins hands down with an 11th-century build. However, that was on a neighboring mountain and they moved it to its current location later. The keep itself, the important part of the “which is older” at Bitchu-Matsuyama is younger than the others.

You also have the matter that regardless of when they were originally built, most had at least some fire or damage from war over the years. If you factor in what and how much was rebuilt and when, it starts to get tricky.  And of course, are we talking about the castle or the keep? Which is where I think the good majority comes from.

And Inuyama Castle has them on the keep initial construction start date (yes, you have to be that specific. The oldest castle that started construction on a Tuesday 😉 – I kid).

A general aside: I can’t imagine the amount of work it is to move so much material without the help of modern machines!

On the note of these castles being so old, this is definitely a situation you will need to take your shoes off in Japan for!

Where have all the castles gone?

There was a massive push to building Japanese castles in the late 1500s and early 1600s. I joke that they sent out carrier pigeons because the timing is creepily similar for the spread of land with no mass communication like today. You may have noticed while researching a trip in Japan that Japan is basically the size of the eastern seaboard of America.

There are estimated thousands of castles across Japan at that point. However, once the Tokugawa took over, there was a “一國一城令” or “one country, one castle order”. Lots of the 300 or so daimyo lords across Japan had to consolidate into one castle and the rest destroyed.

During the Meiji Period, there was a force in the works to get rid of all the castles as part of the Meiji restoration, otherwise, we’d have a lot more original Japanese Castles to visit. 

廢城令, or terminate the castle’s decree. Seen as symbols of the old regime, most were dismantled.  Some left just to degrade into disrepair.  Many other original Japanese castles then succumbed to earthquakes or fires or wars.  What we have left today is a testimony to those that stood up for keeping the heritage.  Mostly local movements.

12 Original Japanese Castles to visit and their keeps

Here are the 12 original Japanese castles in alphabetical order, as to not cause contention. If you’ve followed my travels for a while, you know which I think are the best original Japanese castles. Click through to their individual posts for more information on each!

Bitchu Matsuyama Castle (備中松山城）

Bitchu-Matsuyama Castle (備中松山城) to not confuse it with the other Matsuyama castle in the list of original Japanese castles, this one is in Okayama Prefecture.  It is the only one on top of a true mountain and the highest for that reason. Which makes the name even funnier as it’s a ***** to get to.

There’s no easy way to get to the top, even if you get dropped by a taxi you’ll still have a section of the mountain to hike up but it is beautiful when you do. If you are lucky you’ll be above the clouds!

Hikone Castle (彦根城)

One of the national treasures, Hikone Castle (彦根城) is on the smaller side with only a three-tier donjon, however, I’d put it as my second favorite. Located in Shiga Prefecture. It has this beautiful garden and some unique features – like the fact it was made completely out of another near by castle. Talk about recycling!

It was on the docket to have been dismantled as part of the Meiji Restoration but was saved.

Himeji Castle (姫路城)

Considered the largest of the originals, and really, there shouldn’t be contention.  Himeji Castle (姫路城) consists of some 83 buildings and the main keep is a giant 5 stories. Located in Himeji City in Hyogo Prefecture. She’s also one of the National Treasures.

You’ll need a fair amount of time to explore it all, while I’m probably the weirdo that doesn’t place this as number 1 it is still absolutely breathtaking and in my top 3. Luckily, getting to Himeji is super easy as it has its own shinkansen station

Hirosaki Castle (弘前城)

The farthest north of the original 12 Japanese castles to visit in Aomori Prefecture is Hirosaki Castle. It was originally called Takaoka Castle (there’s another one of those in the continuing list of 100 famous Japanese castles) with an original keep that was 5 stories tall that was burned in a fire.

Another of the Tokugawa’s rules was about the size of the keeps so when it was rebuilt, they were only allowed to rebuild a 3 story one.   Hirosaki Castle (弘前城) is currently relocated to reinforce the walls.  A feat in itself.

With Hirosaki Castle off by itself, you’ll definitely want to hit some of the local attractions as well. I love Aomori and Hirosaki is known for all things apples – fruit, pies, curry, random apple decorations, you name it!

Inuyama Castle (犬山城）

The aforementioned pretentious castle, Inuyama Castle (犬山城).  One of the national treasures and self–claimed oldest. Located in Aichi Prefecture.

Don’t miss the shopping street immediately in front of the castle entrance while you are here for some local food and omiyage (souvenir) shopping.

Kōchi Castle（高知城)

One of the newer of the 12 due to a fire that burnt her down.  Kochi Castle (高知城) was still rebuilt before the “cut off” though.  Kochi is the most southern prefecture in Shikoku. Unique to Kochi is that the palace is still remaining and one of the few instances where it was attached to the castle. In fact, ALL of the honmaru (1st bailey) is intact.

It’s honestly quite hard to rank the twelve against each other but this is one of my favorites. The town of Kochi has an interesting history of whale hunting so if that’s something you are against, be forewarned there is a display in a section of the castle for it.

Marugame Castle (丸亀城）

The smallest of the lot but Marugame Castle (丸亀城) still with character. Prepare for a steep hike up the hill to see the keep.  Many of the original walls are still there and famous for the fan shapes. Located on the island of Shikoku in Kagawa Prefecture.

The view out to the sea from the top is pretty amazing. Just are the stone walls, at 60 meters high they are the tallest in Japan.

Maruoka Castle (丸岡城)

Located in Fukui Prefecture, Maruoka Castle (丸岡城) probably has the stretchiest claim to the 12 as it was nearly flattened in an earthquake during last century.  However, they were able to jigsaw her back together with most of her same parts. She’s located in Fukui Prefecture.

Best part about that sketchy claim? She’s another one that claims to be the oldest Japanese castle. Don’t miss her neighboring Kasumigajo park garden, while new, they are still very nice and you can have a cup of green tea or some beer like I did while you enjoy the view.

Matsue Castle (松江城)

The 2nd largest (Matsumoto might fight her on that one), 3rd tallest, and 5th oldest, Matsue Castle (松江城) is also the farthest west on mainland Japan in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture.

Matsue and neighboring Tottori have so much to see (don’t miss the sand dunes, sand dune museum, and another of the 100 famous castles, Tottori Castle).

Matsumoto Castle (松本城)

One of the five National Treasures. Matsumoto Castle (松本城) is also one of the contenders for the oldest. Oh, you know how Inuyama only shows the 5 national treasures on display and ignore the other 7? Yeah, Matsumoto doesn’t give a !@#$ about the other 11. Winner of most pretentious! 🙂

Matsumoto Castle from the outside looks like 5 stories but on the inside it is actually 6. It also has the feature that it is multiple towers smushed next to each other. Nicknamed the “Crow castle” for its black exterior, its large moat makes for some spectacular photos.

Another town that you’ll want to spend some time walking around the city in. Lots of older buildings and some great beer to check out as well.

Matsuyama Castle (松山城）

I know I said I wouldn’t mention my favorite, but this is it! Matsuyama Castle (松山城) takes the cake of any of them. Even Himeji which is probably the most widely known. Located on Shikoku in Ehime prefecture.

Fun fact: Ehime is the only Prefecture with more than one of the 12 original Japanese castles to visit.

Uwajima Castle (宇和島城)

Uwajima Castle (宇和島城) is definitely a baby castle but worth the visit as it finishes out the 12! Located in Ehime Prefecture as well, but still, a bit of a ride from Matsuyama, especially if it is like when I went and hue amounts of rain had taken out part of the train tracks.

Stamp Rally

Don’t forget to get your guidebook to add these to your stamp rally for the 100 Finest Castles of Japan!  The designation set by the Japan Castle Foundation in 2006 and further in 2017.

12 Original Japanese Castles Map

As you can see by the below map, you aren’t going to be hitting these all in one day! Frankly, I love how much they are spread out because it gives you the opportunity to see so much more of this beautiful country.

Original Japanese Castles Hiking Courses

It is super easy to get exercise in Japan with all the walking around you can do. Having such a great public transportation system (between the buses, trains, and shinkansen) helps that. But also the general “culture” of Japan. Case in point – hiking courses (we’d call them trails but it’s courses in Japan). Most all Japanese castles to visit have courses mapped out for you already. Or you can make your own with your fitness device, I love my Garmin Fenix 6s.

Not that you necessarily need an extra route to hike when some of these castles are massive! But if you are staying in a particular city for a few days, I’d suggest giving it a go, there are always beautiful views and random artifacts hidden around.

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As someone who never a day in her life in America rode a bus, they can be intimidating. Sure, I used the subway or metro in bigger cities, but let’s face it, America’s public transportation sucks. Generally speaking, if you are using buses in Japan, you aren’t going somewhere easy (otherwise you’d be on a train, but we’ll also touch on highway buses!).  If it’s a mile away, I’ll walk, but start getting farther out, you really do need a bus. Throw in a very complicated written language, like Japanese, it’s even scarier. So here are 5 tips for using the bus that I hope helps you on your way!

[Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in October of 2018 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.]

Disclosure: Kristenabroad.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs. For some links to products or services in this article, I may earn a small commission by you using my link.  The price for you is not affected.

5 tips for using buses in Japan

The key to remember is the more practice you have, the more comfortable you will become with using buses in Japan. While kanji can make it a bit more intimidating than other places, more and more buses in Japan are becoming more foreign-friendly with English (and normally Chinese) being used for the signs.

1) How to save money on buses in Japan

Remember when I talked about Pasmo and Suica pre-pay cards?  As long as you aren’t in the boonies, this is the easiest way to go.  You are receiving a small discount by using them, however, if you are somewhere that doesn’t do cards and you’re near the bus depot, pay for the roundtrip (if you are only going one place), you’ll save a few dollars depending on how far you’re going!  

When we took the 45–minute bus ride to Takayama Inari Shrine it was 900 yen one way.  Or 1500 yen round trip.  Something to check, because if you are going round trip anyway, you may as well save a bit!

In cities, often time there is flat rates or bus passes you can get.  Check at the bus station or tourist information center (my must when traveling in Japan) when you get there. A great way to get around Hirosaki and many other cities are the tourist “loop buses”.

2) How to navigate WHICH buses in Japan to use

This is the hard part.  Sometimes there is a whole army of buses at the depot heading off in different directions.  The best starting point is to look up where you are going.  If they have a website, they usually have an “access” page.  If they require a bus to get to them, you’ll be able to check which stop you are looking for, and hopefully, what bus line. 

As, like trains, there are multiple different options.  As far as knowing which stop it is, they are all actually named, and even farther out, they’ll have the name in English characters.  If you are worried about signaling to stop though (there are usually red buttons to press), it is helpful to know what the Kanji looks like as it will appear first.

Next, it’s just a matter to figure out what “platform” or bus name to look for.  Anywhere I’ve been that requires buses in Japan, I make sure to explain that in detail as I know I get stressed out by it so I want to make it as easy as possible for you! Getting to Ryusendo Caves coming to mind.

Lastly, where to get off the bus.  If there was a bus terminal, they should be able to provide you with a time schedule.  Though on roads, they are surprisingly close to the time expected. Yes, even the buses in Japan are punctual! If you have a phone with data (it would be nice if all transportation had WiFi!), you can also google map it to give you a better idea.

3) Reading bus schedules in Japan

There are apps for bus routes but best I’ve been able to find, they are all in Japanese.  Google-san (as it’s called in Japan) is your friend and is doing a better job with including bus routes as a direction option.

For routes, remember that they can differ between 休日 (kyuujitsu, “holidays”) and 平日 (heijitsu, weekdays). 休日 you will normally see listed as “休日 (土　日　祝日)” which means “Holiday (Saturday – Sunday – National Holiday)”. In this case, 土曜, Saturday, is shortened to 土, as 曜 (day) is understood.

If time tables between week days and week ends are different, you will see one of these characters at the top of the column. They normally change the color of the column as well to make it stand out.

This next graphic is a simplistic schedule. If weekday also included a 14:44 bus, for instance, there would be a “44” in the next column from the “24”. Note that not all areas will have English like this one, so it is helpful to learn the kanji or have screenshots of what you are looking for.

4) Getting on and off buses in Japan

Generally, you’ll get on from the back door of the bus but that’s not always the case. One hint, if both doors open, use the rear one.  Some queue lines are very exact and will give you an idea as well because the door will open right at the front of the line.  It’s Japan, we queue for everything.

If you are using a PASMO or other IC card (if that’s an option where you are), you’ll see a PASMO sensor to tap, just tap on and off the bus.  If you are somewhere that needs a ticket or to pay by cash, there will be a number dispenser.  This will be used to verify where you got on (though no one will actually check it). You will see a white piece of paper out of a machine, just grab one as you are getting onboard.

In this picture above, immediately next to the driver is where you pay.  Left of that is the dispenser for what stop you got on. They are in number order but don’t really refer to anything besides that. And in the overhead is the display board.

There will be a screen at the top of the buses in Japan, the price will change as you continue on the way.  Watch what it is for your number and you will drop your number and the exact amount of money in the machine when you step off the bus at your destination.  The machine in which you put your money also has the ability to change bills as necessary generally.  However, it’s a good idea to carry lots of change if you are somewhere that requires riding buses in Japan.

5) Getting back – not missing your bus

Assuming you are returning from where you departed the bus, it’s a good idea to double check the time table.  Even if you got one from the bus terminal.  I generally like to get back 5-10 minutes before the bus is expected in areas where they don’t run often.  They are punctual, but you never know if you might be the one running late!  If you’re getting on at a different location, definitely give yourself some time to locate the bus stop to save yourself some stress.

In this example, there are three bus routes that stop at this stand.  The hours are listed down the left-hand column and the minutes (in the corresponding hour) are listed in the columns per bus.

How to use Highway Buses in Japan

(At updating this article, the highway buses in Japan are currently suspended due to COVID-19 but hopefully, we can use them again soon!)

Highway buses (高速バス, kousoku bus) are often cheaper than taking the train (especially if you’d be taking the shinkansen) to your destination. They are good for medium and long distances. Many longer routes will run overnight, getting you to your destination first thing in the morning. Which works really well for getting to ski resorts, which is the instance I’ve used highway buses in Japan the most. They are also a good option if you tend to get train sick.

For long distance travel for the budget minded traveler in Japan, the overnight options can be great for you as you don’t have to worry about finding lodging – you just sleep on the bus.

You can use Kousoku Bus Net to search for highway bus routes in Japan. You can also save some money by getting one of the highway bus passes.

One of the nice things about highway buses in Japan is that there is room underneath for your luggage, but usually, you are limited to a few items. If there aren’t restrooms onboard, the bus driver will make stops along the way at the highway stations (more on those later).

To purchase your tickets, head to the bus station (normally co-located with train stations, but can have separate hubs like in Iwakuni). You can also purchase them from kiosks in convenience stores.

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Personally, I still don’t like buses.  I much prefer trains and walking (got to rank up my steps with my Garmin Fenix 6S after all!).  However, it’s a necessary evil sometimes. Hopefully, this helps put your mind at ease a bit while traveling around Japan.  There’s also this thing called highway buses in Japan, which I would liken to greyhound buses in the states, that will be a different topic.

What’s your experience with buses around the world?

Oh, Japan. Land of got-to-collect-them-all, including hundreds of castles in varying levels of existence.  There are thousands of ruins from almost indistinguishable mounds to castle walls with no castle structures.  Most of the castle keep structures are reconstructions but there is the crème de la crème, 12 original castles from the pre-Meiji era. The 100 Famous Castles in Japan (日本百名城, Nihon Hyaku Meijō) were chosen by the Japan Castle Foundation (日本城郭協会, Nihon Jōkaku Kyōkai) followed by another 100 after that! When you have so many to check off your list, how do you keep track of them all? Why, a castle stamp rally, of course!

[Editors Note: This post was originally published in December of 2018 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.]

Japan and Numbered Rankings

Hundreds of years ago, a Confucian scholar created clickbait before it was even a thing! I just made that up but it’s conveniently similar. As he traveled Japan he named the three best views of Japan (日本三景, nihonsankei). Itsukushima Shrine is one of them and since then there have been countless “Best three of Japan” in various categories.

Legit. As in these are not to be contested. They are the best.

Top 3 gardens (Kairakuen in Mito, Ibaraki; Kenrokuen in Kanazawa, Ishikawa; and Kōrakuen in Okayama, Okayama); Top three big buddhas (三大大仏, sandai-daibutsu, you’ve seen me talk about Todaiji in Nara and you’ll soon hear about Kamakura and Takaoka’s as I’ve been to them as well); and so many others. Three great onsens, caves (Ryusendo is amazing), shrines of all sects (and of course Fushimi Inari in Kyoto is one), night views.

Name it. They exist.

Well, there’s also a thing with the number 100. We’ll blame that one on the Billboard Top 100 but I honestly don’t know if they are correlated. What started as the 100 top mountains in Japan (as best I can tell it was the first and of course Mount Fuji is number one) has since spread to other aspects.

Great way to make a book. An even better way to entice a massive tourism industry! Start with the peaks, move on to the 100 best shrines, 100 best spots to view cherry blossoms, 100 best parks, and then we have the 100 best castles.

Japan Castle Foundation (日本城郭協会)

The Japan Castle Foundation (日本城郭協会, Nihon jyoukaku kyoukai) was founded in 昭和31年4月 (April of Showa 31 or 1956 for the rest of the world) by a bunch of academics for knowledge sharing and cultural exchange. They aren’t just about Japan castles, they also study castles around the world. Along with the 100 Famous Castles in Japan and the Continued 100 Famous Castles in Japan, they also have a list of 100 Famous castles in Europe.

In Showa 67 (1965), the Ministry of Education acknowledged them as an organization and as such were given a budget. On their 40th anniversary as a foundation, a project to commemorate the event was started. Deciding on the top 100 Famous castles in Japan to promote.

Kochi Castle, one of the 100 Famous Castles in Japan and remaining original constructions

The 100 Famous Castles in Japan (日本百名城, Nihon Hyaku Meijō)

Don’t ask me why or when I started but I normally prefer translating “百名” as “hundred finest” as opposed to “hundred famous” (as what it literally is) but I think it has a better ring to it. But alas, you’ll see in a second why famous is a better fit.

For several months in 2005, they reached out to residents to give recommendations of one to five top castles in each prefecture. From the applications, a panel of castle experts met to decide the fate.

Honestly, I bet there was a huge debate over some of them! Only 5 max a prefecture?! By the Japan Castle Foundations prediction, there are probably somewhere in the range of 40-50 THOUSAND castle remains in Japan.

For the selection process from all of the entries, each castle had to meet one of the following three criteria to be considered one of the famous castles in Japan.

• Being an excellent cultural property or historical site (think world heritage Himeji Castle or one of the National Treasure like Hikone Castle)
• Played a prominent role in history (not all castles saw battle)
• Are representative of an era or region

That last one gets me because I’m sure they all in some way represent their regions. After all, a giant majority of Japan’s cities started as castle towns! But remember, your prefecture gets five max! The discussions of what made each better than the next must-have been fascinating.

To help make sure the rankings weren’t biased by people’s favorite castles, they brought in experts in various fields such as architecture, archeology, civil engineering, and history to level the playing field. 

Kakegawa Castle – No. 42 of the 100 Famous Castles in Japan, is an easy trip from Osaka or Tokyo! It was rebuilt using original construction methods and Kakegawa also has one of the few remaining palaces in Japan.

One thing to note, though they are labeled 1 to 100 the 100 famous castles in Japan are not in rank order but numbered according to the location from North to South and East to West. There are some slight variations to that but for the most part, it works.

Continued 100 Famous Castles in Japan (続日本100名城)

In 2017, as part of their 50th anniversary of the founding of the castle foundation, they created an additional 100 list. 続日本100名城, Zoku Nihon Hyaku-Meijō. Continuation of the 100 castles to help further promote castle, and therefore history, discovery.

Personally I think it was also a ploy to promote more tourism around the country, but I’ll take it! The conditions were the same and again, they went out to each prefecture for submissions but this time they also asked the Japan Castle Foundation members, and those that had been going to the original list of 100 castles.

So, if you like castles, you have 200 stamps to go collect. And don’t forget those other 40,000 castles (yes, thousand) potential castles in Japan. Like a third Matsuyama Castle hidden in the hills near the Yoshimi Caves in Saitama.

Disclosure: Kristenabroad.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program in which I may earn a small commission by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.  Price to you is not affected! It helps me do what I love, share Japan with you!

12 Pre-Meiji Era Castle Keeps in Japan

While they are often referred to as the 12 original castles in Japan, this sentiment applies to the original construction of 12 castle main keeps still in existence today. The Japanese term for them is 現存天守 (genson tenshu).

What’s with there only being 12? Well, when things are made of wood… it’s easier to burn down! Not to mention the deconstruction of many castles during the Meiji Era (more on that in a bit) and well,… bombings.

If you are seeing this list of 100 castles and thinking “Oh god, how will I ever get through that list on my trip to Japan?!”, I highly recommend you start with the 12. If you are going to call any famous castles in Japan – it’s these!

That being said, they also are spread throughout the islands of Honshu and Shikoku but that just gives you an excellent way to make the most out of your Japan Rail Pass! You’ll also get to the experience of riding on Japan’s fastest shinkansen (or bullet train) if you follow my suggestions on how to get to Aomori to see Hirosaki Castle.

As one of my must-do missions, I have focus posts on all of them so make sure to check out this post about the 12 remaining original castle keeps of Japan.

Where did all the Japanese castles go? Meiji Restoration

You may have heard of Commodore Perry taking a fleet of American warships and knocking on Japan’s door, so to speak, in 1853 to open up the borders. This was the start of the end of Japan’s isolation from the world. You see, during the Tokugawa shogunate run period of Edo, they cut off Japan near completely.

However, as their power was getting weaker, there was a movement to restore the imperial throne. There was always an emperor, the Chrysanthemum Throne is the longest-running hereditary monarchy in the world! But the shogunate was calling the shots. Anyway, Emporer Meiji (hence it being called “Meiji Restoration”) was reinstated and they had to make sure they knew who was boss.

So they systematically dismantled near all of the existing Japanese castles that acted as the dwelling place of the shogunate rulers.

There’s lots to learn about castles in Japan!

How to become a castle expert

If you are familiar with the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), this set up is going to sound similar. In order to further promote the castles in Japan and “lifelong learning”, a test was created to challenge people’s knowledge. It started in November of 2012 and has been growing in size with over 20,000 people taking it! There are now five levels of the test.

• Level 4, Beginners with an average passing rate of 96.7% has general knowledge of the famous castles in Japan
• Level 3, Elementary level with a more detailed understanding of construction, history and culture mostly focused on the 100 famous castles in Japan but also has questions from the continued list
• Level 2, Intermediate level has a deep understanding of the particulars of the 200 famous castles in Japan
• Semi-Level 1 (that’s just funny to me), Difficult level in which you are a つわもの or warrior returning to the castle (literally, that’s how they describe it!). It’s themed every year
• Level 1, Expert level. You’ve made it! You’re an expert!

It starts out with questions like “What’s the only pre-Meiji castle remaining in Tohoku?” (Answer: Hirosaki Castle) and raises in difficulty to things like “Castle X was decorated with paper lanterns to see which missionary off?” (I’m not bothering with that full question example because, what?!).

The test is administered twice a year in Fukuoka, Himeji, Nagoya, Osaka, Sendai, and Tokyo.

For some of the basics on Japanese castles, keep reading!

Types of Castles in Japan

If it looks like a castle, talks like a castle and walks like a castle… ok, maybe not walks. Japanese castle structure is very distinctive from the rest of the world.

The geography can play a big role in each design. There are three main types

• 山城 (yamashiro) or mountain castles
• 平山城 (hirayamashiro) or flat mountain castles, these are on hills on a plain
• 平城 (hirashiro) or castle on the plains

With the obvious advantage to the mountain and flat mountain castles for their defensive structures. However, castles on plains have their places as well and often would be incorporated into nearby waterways for an automatic moat.

Layout and Structures of Japanese Castles

There are many components that make up a Japanese castle. You may think when planning your trip around Japan that you don’t need much time in a castle. Believe me, some of them can take you all day! And you don’t want to miss out on some really cool features and even museums that many of them have!

Castle Keep

What most people think of as “THE CASTLE” for Japan is usually the 天守 (tenshu) or castle tower/keep (also called a donjon). There are four main types and my absolute favorite is Matsuyama Castle with its square design and center courtyard.

• 独立式天守, Independent Castle Tower.
• 複合式天守, Compound Castle Tower which has a 付櫓 or attached tower with the main tower
• 連絡式天守, Contact Type Castle Tower. That one doesn’t translate very well. It has a main castle tower with a 渡櫓 or crossing tower (think like a hallway) connecting to another 小天守 or smaller castle tower
• 連立式天守, Coalition Castle Tower. Think of this one as having a courtyard in the middle. A main castle keep with three smaller castle towers connected by hallway towers.

Looking from the outside of castles in Japan, they vary in “levels” usually from 3 to 6. The part of a Japanese castle that makes it look like a layer cake. But the amount of floors inside might be very different from what you see on the exterior!

Be cautious in the older castles, and even some of the remakes, the staircases are more like what you would see on a Navy ship. More ladder than stairs. Why is this? If the enemy made it inside it was harder to move up the floors!

It should be noted that a good majority of castles in Japan no longer have a tenshu. It was the symbol of power and usually the thing to go during the Meiji Restoration.

If you’re looking for the full effect, make sure to choose one that either from the pre-Meiji era (my recommendation if you are limited on time) or for a rebuilt one. On that note, not all rebuilds are created equal! Most are just concrete facades housing museums. Kakegawa and Kanazawa are two options for new builds using old construction techniques.

Citadels

If you aren’t as familiar with castle terminology, think of the citadels or baileys as the areas protected by the castle walls. Of which you can have multiple layers of defense.

The castle towers are located in the 本丸 (hon-maru) or inner citadel/bailey. There are generally two more baileys, 二の丸 (ni-no-maru, literally ‘second circle’) and 三の丸 (san-no-maru, third circle) in most castles but it’s not limited. They don’t always have those names either. Some times it can be the “east circle” or something similar.

Inside each would be where people lived, things like storehouses and the palaces existed – of which, you think original Japanese castle structures are rare, the palaces are even more so! Nijo Castle and Kakegawa Castles ninomaru palaces are two great options, as well as Kawagoe’s Honmaru Palace.

Overarching layouts

If you want to pay closer to any specific detail, this is the one I’d choose. Why? Because you can use it to decide on different castles to go to so you can see each style and don’t go to the same thing over and over again. Something that I feel happens a lot with shrines and temples so after a while, “they are all the same”. We don’t want that, too many awesome castles to see!

If the circle in the name didn’t give it away, one of the main overarching layouts would have them in 輪郭式 (ring fortification) or concentric circles (really squares but we’re sticking with the ‘maru” here which means circle). 二条城 (Nijo Castle) in Kyoto is this style.

There are three other styles:

• 連郭式 or a continuous string from one bailey to the next, in a row like 水戸城 (Mito Castle)
• 梯郭式 or ladder fortification, think… I honestly can’t think of how to describe this in English. Like an L-shaped staircase, I suppose. 岡山城 (Okayama Castle) is this style.
• 渦郭式 or spiral fortification, which is just like it sounds and is part of the reason 丸亀城 (Marugame Castle) is a pain to hike up to!

But of course, there are exceptions to the rule, not all topographies fit into a pretty box.

Other structures of Japanese Castles

When you are exploring castles make sure to take note of all the different aspects, they aren’t just the castle keeps! There are plenty of Important Cultural Properties mixed in – Himeji Castle has different designations on 80+ of its buildings and structures! Some things to look out for:

• 櫓 (yagura) or watchtowers that make the outer ring of citadels include the new construction at Kanazawa using old techniques. Fun fact: 櫓 (yagura) is also the kanji that is used for the structure of my favorite piece of Japanese furniture – Kotatsu!

• 門 (mon) or gates! All of the gates! Many of the castles that are just walls remaining generally have at least a gate left that dates back to other eras like the one at 鳥取城 (Totori Castle).

• 石垣 (ishigasa) or stone walls. 丸亀城 (Marugame Castle) has the highest in Japan.　There is also some really cool engineering that goes into the different styles of stone wall construction.
• 堀 (hori) or moats. Some of the most beautiful are Edo Castles in my opinion.

Defenses

Also keep an eye out for some cool defense systems! And by cool I mean I’m glad I haven’t had to come face to face on them during a battle!

What is the Stamp Rally?

Fun thing about the 100. Japan’s good for stamp rallys. All over. You can get stamps for nearly anything. It’s a way of commemorating your visit. And it’s a fun hobby to “catch them all”.  I reference Pokemon a lot. It’s just a Japan thing, let it go!

In 2007, a stamp rally was added to go along with the 100 Finest Castles in Japan list. The goal was to entice people to deepen their knowledge of the history of Japan and with the stamp book, it helped increase interest in castles.

To top it off, the stamps are very pretty so they can be used to commemorate your visit. And the Japan Castle Association also makes it clear on their website that they don’t intend for people to run around like crazy trying to get them all at once. Take your time and enjoy it!

Certifying your castle visits

Certify what? Yes, not only can you just go around Japan getting pretty stamps, you can have them certified complete and given a special recognition.

A couple of ways to get your stamp rally book, you can sign up to be a member of the foundation or you can purchase the book separately. As you are reading this on an English website, the latter option is probably best.

You have two options for books that I recommend as I have both. One has the stamp book built-in (日本100名城に行こう 公式スタンプ帳つき) and therefore will be a bit heavier to carry around. The other is a guidebook that comes with a separate stamp book pamphlet in the back (日本100名城公式ガイドブック (歴史群像シリーズ)).

Both are in Japanese but you’ll still be able to match the pictures with the castle and they are all numbered.

Only a few castles have these available in their gift shops so make sure you prepare ahead of time and order one!

Where to get your stamp?

Be watchful as there are LOTS of stamp rally’s in Japan and actually, when we were at Inuyama, there were no less than 5 stamps to get.  Side note: It’s good just to have a blank book with you while you are traveling in Japan! I’ll talk more about goshuin (shrine stamp books) later.

Each of the books as one of the facts on the castle gives you the location of the stamps. That’s not very helpful if you can’t read Japanese (and if you are looking at learning I suggest Minna no Nihongo and Wanikani to get you started).

You can normally find them at the register for those castles with a main keep or somewhere inside. Throw on Japanese pronunciation and ask for the “スタンプラリー” (stamp rally spelled in Katakana) and you’ll get there. There are also sometimes signs if they are in other buildings like this one at Inuyama Castle.

If you’re at one of the castles that don’t have a keep, often time there is a municipal building or museum on the grounds that have the stamp. The stamps are sometimes even at shrines.

I’ve definitely wandered around in circles on large castle grounds trying to find the stamps so when you read my posts about them, I will promise to try and always tell you where they are!

Making it legit

If you are eventually looking to get your certification, you MUST get the stamp in your book. Some places will have paper available and they say they will take that but best be safe and do as directed (also in Japanese, inside the books).

Each castle has a specific color ink to use so you’ll only see one of four colors, black, red, blue or green. Speaking of extra pieces of paper, it’s a good idea to have some to make sure it doesn’t bleed onto the other page.

As Inuyama is an actual National Treasure, a higher designation than even some of the original 12 castles. Don’t let it being number 43 in the 100 finest castles confuse you.  They are in order from North to South, East to West (mostly).

Oh, and make sure to mark which day you were there under the stamp! The blank spaces are year 年 – month 月 – day 日.

Should you visit castles in Japan?

If you are a history buff, or just like architecture, or have a hankering for some culture, I highly suggest you plan to see some of the 100 famous castles in Japan while you are in visiting. 

Or, why not collect them all?  My absolute favorite (and I’ve been to a lot of castles, see my current count on the homepage!) is Matsuyama Castle but it is a bit far being on Shikoku.

If it is your first trip and you haven’t been, Himeji Castle should be number one on your list.

Why? It’s one of the first UNESCO World Heritage sites. It’s also massive. You could easily spend two days and not see it all.

100 Famous Castles in Japan by Region

Ready to begin? While Japan is normally broken into more regions, the Japan Castle Association breaks it into 6, I’m assuming due to how the numbers played out or historical regions.

Without further ado, a complete list in English of the 100 famous castles in Japan as designated by the Japan Castle Foundation.

[Note: If castles interest you, I suggest checking back here often or subscribing to Kristen Abroad. As I write more I will be linking out to each individual post!]

Hokkaido and Tohoku Region

• Nemuro Peninsula Chashi Site (根室半島チャシ跡群) in Nemuro, Hokkaido
• Goryōkaku(五稜郭) in Hakodate, Hokkaido
• Matsumae Castle (松前城) in Matsumae, Hokkaido
• Hirosaki Castle (弘前城) in Hirosaki, Aomori
• Ne Castle (根城) in Hachinohe, Aomori
• Morioka Castle (盛岡城) in Morioka, Iwate
• Taga Castle (多賀城) in Tagajō , Miyagi
• Sendai Castle (仙台城) in Sendai, Miyagi
• Kubota Castle (久保田城) in Akita, Akita
• Yamagata Castle (山形城) in Yamagata, Yamagata
• Nihonmatsu Castle (二本松城) in Nihonmatsu, Fukushima
• Aizuwakamatsu Castle (会津若松城) in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima
• Shirakawa Komine Castle (白河小峰城) in Shirakawa, Fukushima

Kanto and Koshinetsu Regions

• Mito Castle (水戸城) in Mito, Ibaraki
• Ashikagashiyakata (足利氏館) now Banna Temple (鑁阿寺, Banna-ji) in Ashikaga, Tochigi
• Minowa Castle (箕輪城) in Takasaki, Gunma
• Kanayama Castle (金山城) in Ōta, Gunma
• Hachigata Castle (鉢形城) in Yorii, Saitama
• Kawagoe Castle (川越城) in Kawagoe, Saitama
• Sakura Castle (佐倉城) in Sakura, Chiba
• Edo Castle (江戸城) in Chiyoda, Tokyo
• Hachiōji Castle (八王子城) in Hachiōji, Tokyo
• Odawara Castle (小田原城) in Odawara, Kanagawa
• Tsutsujigasaki Castle (躑躅ヶ崎館) now Takeda Shrine（武田神社) in Kōfu, Yamanashi
• Kōfu Castle (甲府城) in Kōfu, Yamanashi
• Matsushiro Castle (松代城) in Nagano, Nagano
• Ueda Castle (上田城) in Ueda, Nagano
• Komoro Castle (小諸城) in Komoro, Nagano
• Matsumoto Castle (松本城) in Matsumoto, Nagano
• Takatō Castle (高遠城) in Ina, Nagano
• Shibata Castle (新発田城) in Shibata, Niigata
• Kasugayama Castle (春日山城) in Jōetsu, Niigata

Hokiriku and Tokai Region

• Takaoka Castle (高岡城) in Takaoka, Toyama
• Nanao Castle (七尾城) in Nanao, Ishikawa
• Kanazawa Castle (金沢城) in Kanazawa, Ishikawa
• Maruoka Castle (丸岡城) in Sakai, Fukui
• Ichijōdani Castle (一乗谷城) in Fukui, Fukui
• Iwamura Castle (岩村城 ) in Ena, Gifu
• Gifu Castle (岐阜城) in Gifu, Gifu
• Yamanaka Castle (山中城) in Mishima, Shizuoka
• Sunpu Castle (駿府城 ) in Shizuoka, Shizuoka
• Kakegawa Castle (掛川城) in Kakegawa, Shizuoka
• Inuyama Castle (犬山城 ) in Inuyama, Aichi
• Nagoya Castle (名古屋城) in Nagoya, Aichi
• Okazaki Castle(岡崎城) in Okazaki, Aichi
• Nagashino Castle (長篠城) in Shinshiro, Aichi
• Iga Ueno Castle (伊賀上野城) in Iga, Mie
• Matsusaka Castle (松阪城) in Matsusaka, Mie

Kansai/Kinki Region

• Odani Castle (小谷城) in Kohoku, Shiga
• Hikone Castle (彦根城) in Hikone, Shiga
• Azuchi Castle (安土城) in Ōmihachiman, Shiga
• Kannonji Castle (観音寺城) in Ōmihachiman, Shiga
• Nijō Castle (二条城) in Kyoto, Kyoto
• Osaka Castle (大坂城) in Osaka, Osaka
• Chihaya Castle (千早城) in Chihayaakasaka, Osaka
• Takeda Castle (竹田城) in Asago, Hyōgo
• Sasayama Castle (篠山城) in Sasayama, Hyōgo
• Akashi Castle (明石城) in Akashi, Hyōgo
• Himeji Castle (姫路城) in Himeji, Hyōgo
• Akō Castle (赤穂城) in Akō, Hyōgo
• Takatori Castle (高取城) in Takatori, Nara
• Wakayama Castle (和歌山城) in Wakayama, Wakayama

Chūgoku Region and Shikoku

• Tottori Castle (鳥取城) in Tottori, Tottori
• Matsue Castle (松江城) in Matsue, Shimane
• Gassantoda Castle (月山富田城 ) in Yasugi, Shimane
• Tsuwano Castle (津和野城) in Tsuwano, Shimane
• Tsuyama Castle (津山城) in Tsuyama, Okayama
• Bitchū Matsuyama Castle (備中松山城) in Takahashi, Okayama
• Kino Castle (鬼ノ城) in Sōja, Okayama
• Okayama Castle (岡山城) in Okayama, Okayama
• Fukuyama Castle (福山城) in Fukuyama, Hiroshima
• Kōriyama Castle (郡山城) in Akitakata, Hiroshima
• Hiroshima Castle (広島城) in Hiroshima, Hiroshima
• Iwakuni Castle (岩国城) in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Iwakuni
• Hagi Castle (萩城) in Hagi, Yamaguchi
• Tokushima Castle (徳島城) in Tokushima, Tokushima
• Takamatsu Castle (高松城) in Takamatsu, Kagawa
• Marugame Castle (丸亀城) in Marugame, Kagawa
• Imabari Castle (今治城) in Imabari, Ehime
• Yuzuki Castle (湯築城) in Matsuyama, Ehime
• Matsuyama Castle (松山城) in Matsuyama, Ehime
• Ōzu Castle (大洲城) in Ōzu, Ehime
• Uwajima Castle (宇和島城) in Uwajima, Ehime
• Kōchi Castle (高知城) in Kōchi, Kōchi

Kyūshū and Okinawa

• Fukuoka Castle (福岡城 ) in Fukuoka, Fukuoka
• Ōno Castle (大野城) in Daizafu, Fukuoka
• Nagoya Castle (名護屋城) in Karatsu, Saga
• Yoshinogari (吉野ヶ里) in Yoshinogari, Saga
• Saga Castle (佐賀城) in Saga, Saga
• Hirado Castle (平戸城) in Hirado, Nagasaki
• Shimabara Castle (島原城) in Shimabara, Nagasaki
• Kumamoto Castle (熊本城) in Kumamoto, Kumamoto
• Hitoyoshi Castle (人吉城) in Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto
• Ōita Funai Castle (大分府内城) in Ōita, Ōita
• Oka Castle (岡城 (豊後国)) in Taketa, Ōita
• Obi Castle (飫肥城) in Nichinan, Miyazaki
• Kagoshima Castle (鹿児島城) in Kagoshima, Kagoshima
• Nakijin Castle (今帰仁城) in Nakijin, Okinawa
• Nakagusuku Castle (中城城) in Kitanakagusuku, Okinawa
• Shuri Castle (首里城) in Naha, Okinawa

Continued 100 Famous Castles in Japan by Region

In case the first 100 famous castles in Japan weren’t enough for you, the Japan Castle Association has designated 100 more!

If that wasn’t in cahoots with the tourism industry, it should have been! Between the two, you’ve got a lot of options to add to your plans in Japan.

Some of them between the two lists are close together so I wanted to mention both. Plus, as I said up above check back often or subscribe as I will be updating this as I write more posts on the castles in Japan!

And don’t worry, there’s a book with stamp rally for these too (続日本１００名城公式ガイドブック (歴史群像シリーズ特別編集)).

Hokkaido and Tohoku Region

• Shinori Site (志苔館) in Hakodate, Hokkaido
• Kaminokuni Katsuyama Site (上ノ国勝山館) in Hiyama, Hokkaido
• Namioka Castle (浪岡城) in Aomori, Aomori
• Kunohe Castle (九戸城) in Ninohe, Iwate
• Shiroishi Castle (白石城) in Shiroishi, Miyagi
• Wakimoto Castle (脇本城) in Oga, Akita
• Akita Castle (秋田城) in Akita, Akita
• Tsurugaoka Castle (鶴ヶ岡城) in Tsuruoka, Yamagata
• Yonezawa Castle (米沢城) in Yonezawa, Yamagata
• Miharu Castle (三春城) in Tamura, Fukushima
• Mukaihaguroyama Castle (向羽黒山城) in Aizumisato, Fukushima

Kanto and Kōshinetsu Regions

• Kasama Castle (笠間城) in Kasama, Ibaraki
• Tsuchiura Castle (土浦城) in Tsuchiura, Ibaraki
• Karasawa Castle (唐沢山城) in Sano, Tochigi
• Nagurumi Castle (名胡桃城) in Tone, Gunma
• Numata Castle (沼田城) in Numata, Gunma
• Iwabitsu Castle (岩櫃城) in Agatsuma, Gunma
• Oshi Castle (忍城) in Gyōda, Saitama
• Sugiyama Castle (杉山城) in Hiki, Saitama
• Sugaya Yakata (菅谷館) in Hiki, Saitama
• Moto Sakura Castle (本佐倉城) in Inba, Chiba
• Ōtaki Castle (大多喜城) in Ōtaki, Chiba
• Takiyama Castle (滝山城) in Hachiōji, Tokyo
• *Shinagawa Daiba (品川台場) in Tokyo Bay, Tokyo
• Kozukue Castle (小机城) in Kōhoku-ku, Kanagawa
• Ishigakiyama Castle (石垣山城) in Odawara, Kanagawa
• Shinpu Castle (新府城) in Nirasaki, Yamanashi
• Yōgaiyama Castle (要害山城) in Kōfu, Yamanashi
• Tatsuoka Castle (龍岡城) in Saku, Nagano
• Takashima Castle (高島城) in Suwa, Nagano
• Murakami Castle (村上城) in Murakami, Niigata
• Takada Castle (高田城) in Jōetsu, Niigata
• Samegao Castle (鮫ヶ尾城) in Myōkō, Niigata

Hokuriku and Tokai Regions

• Toyama Castle (富山城) in Toyama, Toyama
• Masuyama Castle (増山城) in Tonami, Toyama
• Torigoe Castle (鳥越城) in Hakusan, Ishikawa
• Fukui Castle (福井城) in Fukui (city), Fukui
• Echizen Ōno Castle (越前大野城) in Ōno, Fukui
• Sagaki Kuniyoshi Castle (佐柿国吉城) in Mihama, Fukui
• Genbao Castle (玄蕃尾城) in Fukui, Shiga
• Gujō Hachiman Castle (郡上八幡城) in Gujō, Gifu
• Naegi Castle (苗木城) in Nakatsugawa, Gifu
• Mino Kaneyama Castle (美濃金山城) in Kani, Gifu
• Ōgaki Castle (大垣城) in Ōgaki, Gifu
• Kōkokuji Castle (興国寺城) in Numazu, Shizuoka
• Suwahara Castle (諏訪原城) in Shimada, Shizuoka
• Takatenjin Castle (高天神城) in Kakegawa, Shizuoka
• Hamamatsu Castle (浜松城) in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka
• Komakiyama Castle (小牧山城) in Komaki, Gifu
• Furumiya Castle (古宮城) in Shinshiro, Aichi
• Yoshida Castle (吉田城) in Toyohashi, Aichi
• Tsu Castle (津城) in Tsu, Mie
• Tage Kitabatakeshi Jōkan (北畠館) in Tsu, Mie
• Tamaru Castle (田丸城) in Tamaki, Mie
• Akagi Castle (赤木城) in Kumano, Mie

Kansai/Kinki Region

• Kamaha Castle (鎌刃城) in Maibara, Shiga
• Hachimanyama Castle (八幡山城) in Yonago, Shiga
• Fukuchiyama Castle (福知山城) in Fukuchiyama, Kyoto
• Akutagawayama Castle (芥川山城) in Takatsuki, Osaka
• Iimoriyama Castle (飯盛山城) in Shijōnawate, Osaka
• Kishiwada Castle (岸和田城) in Kisiwada, Osaka
• Izushi Castle/Arikoyama Castle  (出石城・有子山城) in Toyooka, Hyōgo
• Kuroi Castle (黒井城) in Tanba, Hyōgo
• Sumoto Castle (洲本城) in Sumoto, Hyōgo
• Yamato Kōriyama Castle (大和郡山城) in Yamatokōriyama, Nara
• Uda Matsuyama Castle (宇陀松山城) in Uda, Nara
• Shingū Castle (新宮城) in Shingū, Wakayama

Chūgoku Region and Shikoku

• Wakasa Oniga Castle (若桜鬼ヶ城) in Wakasa, Tottori
• Yonago Castle (米子城) in Yonago, Tottori
• Hamada Castle (浜田城) in Hamada, Shimane
• Bitchu Takamatsu Castle (備中高松城) in Okayama, Ehime
• Mihara Castle (三原城) in Mihara, Hiroshima
• Niitakayama Castle (新高山城) in Mihara, Hiroshima
• Ōuchi-shi Yakata/Kōnomine Castle  (大内氏館・高嶺城) in Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi
• Shōzui Castle (勝瑞城) in Tokushima, Tokushima
• Ichinomiya Castle (一宮城) in Tokushima, Tokushima
• Hiketa Castle (引田城) in Higashikagawa, Kagawa
• Noshima Castle (能島城) in Imabari, Ehime
• Kagomori Castle (河後森城) in Kitauwa, Ehime
• Okō Castle (岡豊城) in Nankoku, Kōchi

Kyūshū and Okinawa

• Kokura Castle (小倉城) in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka
• Mizuki Castle (水城) in Dazaifu, Fukuoka
• Kurume Castle (久留米城) in Kurume, Fukuoka
• Kii Castle (基肄城) in Chikushino, Saga
• Karatsu Castle (唐津城) in Karatsu, Saga
• Kaneda Castle (金田城) in Tsushima, Nagasaki
• Fukue Castle(also know as Ishida Castle) (福江城・石田城) in Gotō, Nagasaki
• Hara Castle (原城) in Minamishimabara, Nagasaki
• Kikuchi Castle (鞠智城) in Kikuchi, Kumamoto
• Yatsushiro Castle (八代城) in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto
• Nakatsu Castle (中津城) in Nakatsu, Ōita
• Tsunomure Castle (角牟礼城) in Yatsushiro, Ōita
• Usuki Castle (臼杵城) in Usuki, Ōita
• Saiki Castle (佐伯城) in Saiki, Ōita
• Nobeoka Castle (延岡城) in Nobeoka, Miyazaki
• Sadowara Castle (佐土原城) in Miyazaki, Miyazaki
• Shibushi Castle (志布志城) in Shibushi, Kagoshima
• Chiran Castle (知覧城) in Minamikyūshū, Kagoshima
• Zakimi Castle (座喜味城) in Nakagami, Okinawa
• Katsuren Castle (勝連城) in Uruma, Okinawa

Other Castles in Japan

Don’t forget there used to be many more castles in Japan and while they may not have made the famous castles in Japan lists, there are still others out there. Like Chiba Castle, for instance, a quick day trip from Tokyo, and a reconstruction castle with a museum inside.

If you are looking for the list of others, I’ll eventually make one but for now, you can get this castle atlas that shows many more than just the 200 famous castles in Japan.

Pin this for later

Thanks to the expansion of the shinkansen, Kanazawa (金沢) is a quick ride from Tokyo. The capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture retains much of its charm due to being spared from the air raids of WWII. Boasting several historic districts and one of the top-ranked gardens of Japan, the land original held by the Maeda Family in the Edo period has much to offer.

The name Kanazawa, which literally means marsh of gold, is said to be originated from a legend that the peasant Imohori Togoro washed gold dust in a local marsh. It is also said that the name is originated from the fact that the present Kenrokuen Garden area was called Kanazawago and Kanazawanosho in ancient times.

1. Be greeted by one of the best train stations

Which way is sacred? The trip you’re about to go on, or the adventure you are entering out in town? Torii Gates normally mark the separation between the divine and the mundane but at Kanazawa Station it has been incorporated into the aesthetics.

The legs of the Torii gate-like structure are shaped to resemble tsuzumi, a type of drum used in Noh theater. The name comes from this characteristic, “Tsuzumi-mon” or “Tsuzumi Gate”. Make sure to look at it from the outside back in.

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Historic Geisha Districts

Let’s just jump straight into the Chaya (茶屋) or what English speaking people call Geisha districts. Chaya, which literally translates as “tea house”, and Kanazawa has three!

To top that off, two of Kanazawa’s historical rows of teahouses along with Kyoto’s Gion have been designated as Japan’s cultural assets.

The chaya buildings are distinguished by the beautiful wood latticework called 木虫籠 (きむずこ, kimuzuko) or sometimes 紅殻格子 which is literally red latticework. For every 1.8 meters, there are 70 vertical lattices. They are given a reddish hue from the type of wood they are and upon closer inspection, they are actually trapezoidal with the long side on the outside.

This not only adds to the aesthetic but is brilliant at protecting the privacy of those inside while still allowing them to see out. Watch out for them while you are walking around.

2. Higashi Chaya District (東茶屋街)

Higashi Chaya (東茶屋, literally the “east tea shops”), is one of the designated national cultural assets. Of the three in Kanazawa, this is the largest and has all these cute little back alleys near it.

You can sometimes see geisha or Maiko (geisha apprentices) walking these streets on their way to work.

The “real deal” Chaya you need a special invitation to but you can go to a restored chaya house where visitors can explore, Shima. A great sneak peek at the real deal!

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3. Kazue-Machi District (主計町街)

Kazue-machi (主計町), named for Todakazue, a samurai family of the Kaga region. (Machi means town). Located along the Asanogawa river it is less touristy and more “private” than the other geisha areas of Kanazawa, don’t take that as you shouldn’t see it though! It’s gorgeous.

Kanazawa’s second national cultural asset chaya district, spared from WWII, has a lot of the streets retaining their ancient charms. This is some of feudal Japan at it’s best.

The “street” view along the water of Kazue-machi. This pathway is quite wide for Japan and I’d imagine it was that way due to the waterway usage back in the day.

4. Nishi Chaya District (西茶屋街)

Much smaller, this is literally the “West” Tea District. It’s on the complete opposite side of town from the other two geisha districts. However, it is a good place to stop along with when you go to the Samurai District, Naga-machi Buke Yashiki District (長町武家屋敷) and see the Nomura Samurai House.

5. Naga-machi Buke Yashiki District (長町武家屋敷)

Naga-machi Buke Yashiki District (長町武家屋敷) is full of streets lined with mud packed walls and located just to the west of the castle. Naga machi just is the name of this part of town as best I can tell. Though “naga” can mean long, I didn’t see anything that would distinctly make it called that but the streets are pretty long and narrow!

The second half of the name is “samurai residence” and two of the chief retainers of the Maeda clan (back to Kanazawa castle) lived in this area.

The area is distinctive in winter with the straw lining on the walls. The name for this? “Komo” (薦) and they protect the walls from the massive amounts of snow that Kanazawa gets.

6. Nomura Samurai House

While you are checking out the samurai town of Nagamachi (長町), why not see what one actually was like? This is where the wealthy samurai and their families lived!

You’ll feel like you’ve been wisped back to Edo-period Japan! Walk past the gate into the Nomura Samurai House (武家屋敷跡 野村家) to see exactly the splendor they lived in.

While inside, you can experience one of the best private gardens in Japan! Also, make sure to have matcha tea in a tea ceremony room!

7. Kenrokuen (兼六園)

I use to not be a big garden person. You see gardens like this and you change your mind!

Kenrokuen (兼六園) is one of the three most famous gardens in Japan. The other two are Korakeun in Okayama and Kairakuen in Mit.

The kanji mean “concurrent” and “six” and “garden or park”. Again, Japan and the literal names! This comes from the Chinese that there were six features that make an ideal garden.

• spaciousness
• seclusion
• artifice
• antiquity
• water
• panoramas

This park DEFINITELY hits all the widgets. It’s massive. Expect to spend a fair amount of time here.

8. Kanazawa Castle

The honmaru, 本丸 or main bailey, of Kanazawa castle doesn’t have any structures on it anymore. But it does have this lovely view through to the mountains!

Like most of Japan’s wooden build castles, they burned down a lot over the years. The most recent being 1881 with the only surviving original structures of two storehouses and the Ishikawa-mon Gate. The gate dates from 1788!

The main feature, however surprisingly as you should know my feeling on most rebuilds by now, is a rebuilt section of the two turrets with a long storehouse that would have made up part of the castle walls.

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Rebuilt using all traditional methods, it’s a feat of architecture that needs to be seen! Oh, and don’t forget, this is one of the 100 finest castles so bring your stamp book!

9. Try a Kaiseki Dinner

If you are going to have Kaiseki (懐石) or kaiseki-ryōri (懐石料理), a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner, Kanazawa is a great place to do so! I highly recommend Kotobuyika. (Not sponsored, I just really enjoyed it!)

The building is some 150+ years old, it is a designated a city of Kanazawa cultural property. Originally it was a kimono shop. At the turn of the 20th century, it was turned into a restaurant.

10. Visit Oriental Brewing: Craft Beer in Kanazawa

One of my favorite things to do in a new town is to try the local craft beer! Oriental Brewing has three pubs located around town (Higashiyama, Kohrinbo and Kanazawa station), you’ll definitely be able to try out a few!

Getting Around Kanazawa

The best option for tourists is to use the loop bus. One of my favorite Japanese inventions, most cities have one.

For information and a free map, there is a Tourist Information Center inside Kanazawa Station or at the Transportation Information Center by the bus stops on the East gate side.

For a 200 yen flat rate you can take the right or left route that will take you to all of the major attractions. The buses depart from bus stop #7 (head out the east exit of the station) every 15 minutes from 8:30 am to 6 pm.

Getting to Kanazawa

Train travel almost always wins when traveling in Japan! Heading from Tokyo? The Hokuriku shinkansen is a direct shot, making the trip super convenient. Don’t forget about some possible stopover locations on your way though like Matsumoto and Takazawa.

Hitting the western circuit? The JR Thunderbird limited express line will get you from Kyoto. It’s also one of my favorite liner trains!

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Located to the west of Kanazawa Castle, one of the 100 finest in Japan, resides the wonderfully well-preserved area of Nagamachi (長町). In the castle‘ day, this is where the wealthy samurai and their families lived. You’ll definitely feel like you’ve been wisped back in time walking these small winding roads. Then walk past the gate into the Nomura Samurai House (武家屋敷跡 野村家) to see exactly the splendor they lived.

Who were the Nomura’s?

Originally, Kanazawa belonged to the Kaga domain, it’s founder Maeda Toshiie and his successors are responsible for turning the town into one of the largest castle towns in feudal Japan. To this day, it’s quite a large city, but generally unknown on the “Japan Circuit” most tourists follow.

The founder of the house was Nomura Denbei Nobusada who was already a retainer for Maeda when he moved to Kanazawa. They were bestowed 1,000 koku of rice by the Kaga Clan and served the Maeda family until the end of the Edo period in 1868.

What’s a 石, koku? Literally, it’s a unit of measurement of about 180 liters. However, it can be used to understand how wealthy someone was as that is how they were paid back in the day.

Just like very few castles survived, not many samurai houses made it into the Meiji Era that followed. The Nomura Samurai House in Nagamachi was luckily only sold but began to fall into ruin. Eventually, it was restored (though the tea room is a new addition) and is now owned by the city.

Quick Japanese Lesson

Japanese facinates me so I like to break down the parts. You can learn a lot about history by looking at just the words to describe things.

Did you know there are kind of two words for Samurai? 侍, さむらい, samurai is directly the military retainers of daimyos in the Edo period. However, there is also 武家, ぶけ, buke. Which directly can mean “warrior family” but also can mean “samurai”.

Historically, buke refers to the upper, privileged class such as samurai. It’s a gender-neutral term. Did you know samurai only applies to men? Don’t worry, there were female warriors as well! 女武芸者, おんなぶげいしゃ, onna bugeisha, literally “female master of martial arts”, fought along side the samurai.

The Japanese name for Nomura Samurai House is 武家屋敷跡 野村家. The first part 武家屋敷, ぶけやしき, bukeyashiki, being “samurai residence”. 跡, あと, ato, means “site” or “remains”. 野村家, のむらけ, nomura–ke is “Nomura family”.

Inside the Nomura Samurai House

The rooms are set up simplistically, as you would have found them. There are artifacts from the samurai days including a suit of armor.

Architecturally, the ceilings are made with a special type of cypress wood. Above the doors are intricately carved 欄間, ranma, which honestly, just means “transom”. This is the space above sliding doors you will find in Japanese homes which allowed for airflow when the doors are closed. Good for cutting down on mildew and mold with so many natural features.

The sliding doors have a name as well, 襖, fusuma. They can be beautifully painted or plain. The vertical, rectangular panels can be slide from side to side and though generally, you would think of them as doors, they are also used often to change the shape or size of a room. They are the same size as a 畳, tatami, the traditional straw mats of Japanese homes.

High Ranking Garden

The Jul/Aug 2003 Issue of Sukiya Living Magazine Journal of Japanese Gardens ranked all house gardens in Japan (because we have to distinguish these things) and the Nomura Samurai House garden is ranked number 3. Further, in March of 2009, the Michelin Green Guide Japon awarded the garden two-stars.

One of the trees is said to be over 400 years old and there are cute koi swimming around in the pond. If you look closely, you’ll notice that there is more than one level to the garden itself. The stone lanterns add to the aesthetic.

Have Japanese tea in the tea house

Make sure you make your way to the stone stairway in the back of the property. After the Nomura’s had to sell their property, the house had begun to fall into disrepair until it was purchased by a man named Kubo Hikobei in the early 20th century. A few features were added by him, including this upstairs tea room.

Treat yourself to a simplistic tea ceremony and enjoy some green tea as you gaze out on the loveliness of the gardens from above.

How to get to Nomura Samurai House

Nomura Samurai House is easily accessible by the Kanazawa Loop Bus. If it is a nice day, it’s also not that bad of a walk from Kanazawa Station or the nearby Kanazawa Castle, which if you are into castles and working on completing the stamp rally, maybe why you are here in the first place! My preference is walking when I can as you get a good feel for the place you are in.

The Kanazawa Loop Bus leaves from the East Exit of the station, get off at the Korinbo bus stop. All trips on the loop bus are a flat rate of 200 yen. It is a 5 minute walk to the Nomura Samurai House through Nagamachi.

More to Do Near by

There is so much to do in Kanazawa! Definitely check out the three tea districts of the town that will transport you back into the Edo period. They are some of the best–preserved in Japan. Of course, don’t miss Kanazawa Castle.

There is a small beer scene in Kanazawa so if that’s your thing, you’ll definitely be able to find something. Lastly, I highly suggest getting a reservation for a kaiseki (会席) dinner. Kotobukiya is a great option.

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Kasumigajo Park is located in the city of Sakai in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. Probably one of the lesser-known prefectures, but that doesn’t mean there’s not a reason to go visit! Located at the base of Maruoka Castle (丸岡城, it’s an easy day trip from Kyoto on the Limited Express Thunderbird. Three birds with one stone, Japanese Garden, one of the original castles and a liner ticked off your list!

[PS. Need help planning your Japan trip? Feel free to reach out to me for help!]

What’s in a name?

Kasumigajo Park was built in 1979 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Maruoka Castle. Ignore for the time being that all the information for the castle claims that it was built in 1576 (claimed because there are three of the original 12 castles that all claim they are the oldest and this is one of them) and that math doesn’t work out. So why wasn’t it called Maruokajo Park? It is Maruoka Castle, after all (城, jyou, is one of the on-yomi pronunciations of the word for a castle and normally romanized as “jo”).

There is a legend about Maruoka Castle that any time an enemy approaches, a wall of mist will appear out of nowhere and conceal it. Hence, it has a nickname of 霞ヶ城, かすみがじょう, kasumi-ga-jyou, “Castle of the Mist”. The garden uses this name instead.

Pro Tip: Don’t let the name confuse you!

Nihonmatsu Castle in Fukushima (another of the hundred finest and one I’ll have to tell you about later) is also known as Kasumigajo. Damn Castles and their nicknames. Also? The park in Fukushima bears the same name. So if you are looking up directions (other than the ones I’ll give you below!), make sure you choose the correct one!

Japanese Garden Elements

Japan has a thing with having the “three best” of something. Kenrokuen (兼六園), in Kanazawa, Korakeun (後楽園) in Okayama and Kairakuen (後楽園) in Mito hold those titles.

Why am I talking about OTHER gardens? Well, to be considered a “true” garden, based on Chinese landscape theory there are six features that make an ideal garden. And these three all emphasize them perfectly.

• spaciousness
• seclusion
• artifice
• antiquity
• water
• panoramas

So back to Kasumigajo Park. It has one of the cooklest koi ponds I’ve ever seen. You have the feeling you can just wade into the water and be one with nature.

One of the 100 Best Hanami: Maruoka Castle Hanami

Speaking of numbers, Japan also has a thing with “100 best” like the 100 finest castles that if you’ve been reading awhile, you know it’s an ultimate goal to get to all of them.

This park and the castle are considered one of the 100 best cherry blossom viewing locations in Japan. There are 400 cherry blossom trees to enjoy, 300 of which are lit up between 6 and 10 pm at night to enjoy. The festival at Maruoka Castle usually runs for the first half of April, make it a priority if you are in Japan for Cherry Blossom season.

Getting to Kasumigajo Park

You are going to need a bus to get to Kasumigajo Park. It’s a bit far from the station in Fukui (40 min) and Awara Onsen stations (20 min) on the JR Hokuriku Main Line.

Don’t let the bus system intimidate you (I know it did for me at first!), catch the Keifuku Bus bound for Maruoka Castle (丸岡城).

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Things to do nearby

First off, definitely visit Maraoka Castle! It’s one of the 12 remaining original castles of Japan.

Fukui is famous for their soba with different “varietals” of buckwheat in various regions. In fact, most of the prefecture’s soba is harvested in Sakai! Try Maruoka’s and compare it to some of the others, like Awara if you went with that option for travel!

While we’re speaking about food, Fukui is also where Koshihikari rice was invented. Koshihikari is the “premium” of all Japan If you like rice, this is where you should get it!

Another thing Fukui is known for is it’s Echizen Bamboo dolls. You can see the fine work of craftsman (or 職人, shokunin) at the 越前竹人形の里 (えちぜんたけにんぎょうのさと, Echizen Bamboo Doll Village).

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There is an idiom in Japanese that has supposedly been around since Edo period:「富士山に一度も登らぬ馬鹿、二度登る馬鹿」which is normally translated as “A wise man climbs Mount Fuji once, a fool climbs it twice”. It’s not really that poetic, or at least not the way I normally translate “馬鹿” (pronounced “baka”). I always take it to actually say “you’re an idiot not to climb Mount Fuji, you’re an idiot if you do it twice”. I love to hike in Japan, but knowing how fast the mountain can change from friends’ experiences, I believe those words. I was highly lucky on my one trek-up. Here are 6 things NOT to do when you climb Mount Fuji.

[Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in July of 2018 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.]

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What Not To Do When You Climb Mount Fuji

As the tallest peak in Japan at 3,776 meters (or about 12,389 feet), she’s not to be taken lightly, though Mount Fuji is very accessible to people of all abilities. Just ask my Japanese coworkers that climb her every year (apparently they don’t care about the saying). Or this centenarian that climbed it every year from age 89 on. That said, if you are looking to trek up this conical, mars-like behemoth, there are definitely some things you should consider and be prepared for.

However, before we go too far – something I get asked a lot is if a beginner can climb mount fuji? My thought is if you go into the situation prepared and are willing to take your time, I would say yes as it’s not too technical of a climb. That said – don’t be disappointed if you have to turn back early! I’ve had several friends that didn’t make it to the top their first time, but they tried again and succeeded! (We’ll give them a bi on the idiom for those ones!)

Fun fact for the day I climbed? There is a trail race that runs from the sea to the summit of Fuji. For those of you that want to take your Japan racing to the next level!

Now, let’s get on with the suggestions, all based on yours truly and my experience.

1) Not having the right clothes

I should preface this with I overheat VERY easily. Booking it everywhere I go doesn’t help matters. But yes, the above picture is me about to climb Mount Fuji and I’m in a tank top and capris. Not exactly the best attire unless you have extra clothing with you. The hiking season to climb Mount Fuji is usually from July to September but it is COLD at the top. Hell, it was cold at the 5th station (2,300 meters), where we began. My group hiked it on a sunny day so this didn’t end up being an issue but most people hike at night to see the elusive sunrise.

Don’t be me. The extent of my “extra preparations” was to have one of my colloquially called “kite jackets” I use during road races if it’s cold at the beginning (more on that in a second). If you aren’t used to carrying a lot when you hike, I suggest you wear layers that you can take off and tie around your waist.

Gaiters are also not a bad idea to keep the rocks out of your boots. However, I ended up fine with just some high-top hiking boots. That is until the hike back down when they fell apart. Literally. Soles were completely gone. They were old (a friend had given me them when they upgraded) but the terrain can do a number on your gear.

If you are doing the night climb, don’t forget a headlamp! Daytime hike? If you aren’t covered up, sunscreen is a must!

2) Not being prepared for a weather shift

You very quickly get out of the tree line when you climb Mount Fuji. The only protection from the elements you’ll get is from the “huts” as you hike up. If the weather shifts and you don’t have some good rain/snow gear, well… Guess what I had with me? What I colloquially call my “kite jacket” as it’s made from the same materials as kites. Sure they make great running jackets, there’s really not much warmth factor and rain soaks through pretty fast. It’s not the rainy season for most of the climbing season but it still seems to rain most days I’ve had friends go climb Mount Fuji.

Definitely would suggest you have decent lightweight rain gear in your pack. As well as something heavier than a windbreaker! This especially goes for if you are doing a night hike. I’ve had plenty of horror stories from multiple friends climbs where the sky opened up with either torrential downpours or even snow – yup, even in August!

The opposite holds true too – “nice days” aren’t always nice to your body! What if it starts out raining and gets better? You NEED sunscreen up that high. I had tan lines from the burn I got for nearly a year. Check out my post for tips on buying sunscreen in Japan.

3) Not anticipating altitude sickness

This originally started as two bullets. Not having enough water and not being in some form of athletic shape. Plenty of beginners hike Fuji and survive. It might take what feels like an obscene amount of time but you’ll make it. One way to help with altitude sickness is to make sure you stay hydrated! Lots of water. Drink up. Have at least 2 liters on you. Water on the mountain is expensive for obvious reasons. Have money (YEN) to get more! A Camelbak works wonders and can be added to any pack but it is nice to have one that is designed to take on one.

The second piece of the puzzle. I’m just going to be blunt to throw this out there: it helps if you are in shape. Or at least some shape. I.e. you are active in some capacity. If you live at sea level like me, you’re going to get hit by the altitude. I had recently trained for a marathon when I climb Mount Fuji so that was my saving grace. I still felt it after the 8th station. Breathing gets noticeably harder, especially if you aren’t hydrated enough. Honestly, with all the skiing I’ve done in my life (Japan has some of the best skiing!), I was surprised how much hiking at that level impacted me.

4) Not booking early

This didn’t apply to me as I didn’t stay overnight. However, from talking with people, booking a hut early is a must. Especially if you want to not have to wake up so early. You see, it doesn’t really count as an “overnight” stay because you have to start early to make it by sunrise. The higher up you are, the less of a hassle in the “morning”, and this also helps you with point #3 and getting acclimated to the altitude.

The huts aren’t very big so they don’t hold a lot of people. And be ready to get cozy with your neighbors if you go this route.

5) Have a fear of bees or an allergy

This, by all means, should not be a show stopper. However! If you have an allergy to bees, bring your EpiPen. There is literally next to no life past the tree line but for some reason there are bees. And they are annoying. I, for one, was completely not expecting that so I wanted to give you a heads up.

6) Not remembering which trail you started on

There are four trails to climb Mount Fuji. The Yoshida trail is the most used. Of the nearly 300K people that climbed Mount Fuji in 2017, over 170K of them used the Yoshida trail. Please note: The way up is not the same as the way back down.

If you hike the loop trek of the crater, keep track of where you started it. I’ve known many people that have gone back down the other side and were super lucky that they caught a bus back to their car/tour. Circumnavigating the mountain is something like 30 MILES/ 50 KM!

Just to make it more confusing, between the 8th station and the top, the Yoshida Trail shares the path with the Subashiri Trail. Don’t worry, they are color-coded. Just be sure to make note of which one you started on and make sure that’s the one you end up on!

Now, What TO Do When You Climb Mount Fuji

Assuming I haven’t scared you off, har har, here are some things I suggest to make climbing Mount Fuji more enjoyable.

1) Buy a Fuji Stick

100% spend the extra money and get a climbing stick! it’s my most proud souvenir, EVER. That being said, make sure you also have enough yen (around 6,000 yen or $40-80 USD depending on how good or bad the exchange rate is) to get your “stamps” at each of the huts going up.

This also brings on getting cozy with some dual-purpose fires that are used for the brands that make the stamps. One, you can warm up. Two, they use pokers to brand your stick.

One other tip: There are two versions of “fuji sticks”. One is more of a half staff, the other is a full staff. The full staff ones can be used as an actual walking stick which is super helpful. There are definitely some boulder areas that having a third pick point made it easier going. I suggest that over the little half sticks you just get stuck carrying around and wearing out your arm muscles.

2) Have a beer at the top

There are several huts at the top of the mountain with various food and beverages. You just climbed to the highest point in Japan! Celebrate! Remember what I said about hydration? Well, have a beer, then drink some more water! While I waited for the rest of my group to make it to the top, having a beer (ok, it was two) was pretty spectacular with the views.

3) Know your food options

Personally, for me, I brought a few onigiri to climb Mount Fuji with. They are my absolute favorite hiking food as they are quick to digest and easy to carry. Most of the huts have some form of food though. There is also soba or ramen at the top. Again, remember CASH to be able to pay for this. Japan while very advanced in some areas, still is behind on credit cards in a lot of ways. However, with this climb, it’s more of an infrastructure nightmare.

4) Bring coins for bathrooms on the trail

A last note, your body is going to be sucking up all that water you’re drinking but you’ll probably need to use the facilities at some point. This will literally be the only time you need to pay to use a bathroom in Japan. Have some coinage for this.

What to expect from the trail

The Yoshida trail is switchbacks, the entire way up. It fairly gently slopes up until about the 7th station. Then it gets a little rocky and you’ll have to do some slight “climbs” up boulders – your fuji walking stick is your friend! The terrain itself is volcanic…gravel? Little annoying rocks that you will slide on. Especially near the top, forward progression can be slightly frustrating but YOU. CAN. DO. IT. 🙂

Oh, and admire the fact that it looks like it could be Mars.

Have questions? Let me know in the comments or feel free to shoot me an email or chat with me on social media. And make sure to pin this for later.

Kakegawa Castle in Kakegawa, Shizuoka prefecture, was my first castle after completing the mission to see the original 12 castles in Japan. I was expecting a castle facade with museum interior. The typical, I feel like, for reconstructions that I had seen so many times before. I was pleasantly mistaken. It was, according to their information, the first castle to be reconstructed with wood.

Kakegawa History

Kakegawa was built around 1600 like nearly all of the castles. I like to joke that they sent carrier pigeons to all the lords. “Build a castle, NOW!”.  However it happened, still completely amazes me thousands of castles were made about the same time.

An earthquake destroyed much of the Kakegawa castle in 1854, including the main keep. The main keep is what determines if it’s “original” or not.  However, the residence, Ni-no-Maru Goten (二の丸御殿), survived!  This is actually the real reason I went.  I’ve been told there are four remaining palaces. I’m still on the search for validating that fact. But I figure someone that went through the Japanese school system and loves castles as much as me is a good start!  This makes the palace a important cultural asset of Japan and one of the very few remaining.

Kakegawa Castle

As I mentioned, Kakegawa Castle donjon, or keep, is completely rebuilt in wood per the original design.  The first undertaking of its kind since after the war.  They finished it in April of 1994. It is number 42 on the Stamp Rally Race for the 100 Finest Japanese Castles.  The stamp is located in the residence. Don’t miss it!

Inside the palace you can see a Taiko Drum.  There is also a 太鼓櫓, Taiko Watch Tower (is the only way I know how to translate it) that is representative of how they use to announce the time during olden days.

If you recall Maruoka Castle having a supernatural self–defense mechanism, Kakegawa did as well.  Legend has it that a mist appeared from one of the wells while it was being attacked, masking its existence.  Since then, it has the nickname of 雲霧城 or Cloud Castle.

Hours and Admission

The Hours of Operation vary depending on the time of year so be on the look out for that.  Pretty standard for Japan.  As the Land of the Rising sun, she tends to have super early summer hours and it gets dark very early in the winter.  From February to October hours are 9am-5pm, November to January is 9am-4.30pm.

The Admission Fee is a 410 yen for adults and 150 for children. This gets you into the Castle, the Ni-no-maru Palace as well as a small Museum.

Getting here

A “local” stop on the Tokai Shinkansen line, the castle is a short walk from the Kakegawa Station.

Matsumoto Castle (松本城) in Nagano Prefecture was my first of the original Japanese castles to visit. An easy stopover for the snow monkeys or any ski trip up to the area.  She claims to be the oldest, “claims” because Inuyama Castle (犬山城) and Maruoka castle (丸岡城) claim the same thing. If *I’m* going to have a say in it, I go with Bitchu-Matsuyama Castle because she’s been around the longest of any of them if you count the sortie history of them MOVING the entire castle from another mountain (that’s insane).  But I digress.

What’s in a name?

Castles in Japan like to have nicknames.  It’s completely a thing. Matsumoto Castle is also referred to as 烏城, kurasujyou. Or Crow Castle, due to her black exterior.  She’s not the only one though. Okayama Castle also has the same nickname. For the same reason. Although they use the same kanji, Okayama Castle is pronounced “U-jyou”.  I love Japanese.

Matsumoto Castle (松本城) Designations

Along with being one of the 12 original Japanese castles, Matsumoto Castle is apart of the five that are included as a National Treasure. She is 5 tiered but 6 floors inside. Something her own website claims they only share with Himeji Castle.  However, Matsue Castle also has 5 tiers and 6 floors.  There’s probably some nuance they are getting around for that one.

Unique Features

Do you recall me saying that Inuyama Castle (犬山城) was pretentious for only mentioning the 5 other castles that are National Treasures? Matsumoto doesn’t mention any of them! It does make mention to one of the 100 finest castles though, Okayama (岡山城).

Okayama castle and Matsumoto share a unique beautiful bit of architecture. This is a moon viewing room and is open on three sides. Added after the warring states period. Peace time allows the lord had a chance to admire the moon I suppose!

Castle Promotion Team

Don’t miss the period dressed castle promotion team when you go to Matsumoto Castle. Dressed in traditional garb, be prepared for some awesome pictures.

Festivals at Matsumoto Castle

The castle grounds known for it’s Cherry Blossoms, a great place for hanami (I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the castles). Summer time there is a Taiko Drum festival. Now on my list of things to see? Takiji Noe performance (play put on with torch lights). Autumn there is a moon viewing party.

If you go during any of these events, you can expect the castle to be very busy so account for wait time. As it’s close to skiing, you also have a good chance to catch her in the snow during winter time.

Getting There

Driving for this one is an option. Especially if you are tying it to a ski trip. There is ample parking available in town.  There’s also some good micro breweries in town though so trains are an option as well.  It’s Japan! There’s practically always a way to get there by train! Expect about a three hour trek from Tokyo to get here. Even with a shinkansen as part of your plan.

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Maruoka Castle claims to the oldest of the 12 original castles still in existence in Japan. I say “claims” because their signage all says so but they are not the only castle (I’m looking at you Inuyama and Matsumoto) to state the fact.  2018 has been the year of the castle and I’ve been pilgraming around to get you all the details. How to get there, what not to miss, and which are the best (in my opinion).

Maruoka Castle Claim to the Original 12 Japanese Castles

Built in 1576, it was knocked down by a massive earthquake in 1948. However, it was rebuilt with 80% of the original materials so it still counts as one of the originals. 80 percent solution?

Myth and Legend

There are a few legends surrounding this castle. One, it’s haunted.  Oddly, in my opinion, by a woman.  I would think as it’s a place of war, the haunting would be a given but I think only samurai. Second, it has a nickname.  霞ヶ城, Kasumigajyou, Mist Castle because supposedly, when enemies approached it, it would get covered in a thick mist. That’s a pretty convienent trick.  She’s pretty out on the open in the plain.

Maruoka Castle Details

Like some of the other castles, looks are deceiving. From the outside, it appears to be two stories, where as inside there are three. The stairs are something else in this one though. More a ladder at 67 degree angle. Be cautious when you are climbing!

There is an English recording inside the castle on repeat that gives you some of the details of the castle. One being the unique stone roof, instead of tiles. The Shakudani stones are only located in Fukui prefecture.

Don’t forget to get your stamp for the 100 finest castles stamp rally while you are here.

The gardens

I think this is one of the best castles for extra details.  The koi pond was one of the best I’ve seen.  Kasumigajo Park was built as commemoration of the 400th year of the castles construction.

The museum

Along with your admission to the castle, you can go into the Folk Museum at the bottom of the hill that has relics found from the castle.  In Japanese, but worth a look.

Getting to Maruoka Castle

You may be tempted to take the train to Maruoka Station. There is a bus from there supposedly, but I wasn’t able to get a good enough time table on it and believe it only runs early in the morning. The walk is about 4km from Maruoka station so if you need a walk for the day, it’s still not a deal breaker.

Better is to get off at Fukui Station and take bus number 36 or 39. They run all day and their last stop is the castle so its fairly straight forward. Give yourself a little over an hour to make it from Fukui City to Sakai City, where the castle is located. There is also bus number 31 but it leaves very early in the morning. If you want to hit the castle first thing, I think it’s trip is faster.

Getting There – Bus Timetables

If you’ve been following along, you know it’s sometimes next to impossible to find bus timetables.  So voila! Here you have them for getting from Fukui Station to Maruoka Castle.

Let me know what you think in the comments!