Screen Pilgrimage Real places behind anime and film, across Japan

TV anime · 2017

Castle Defense — real-life locations

Morioka Castle, Tagajo, Sendai Castle and more — 89 places you can visit, in Iwate, Miyagi, Akita. Every entry gives the nearest station, how long the walk is, and what to mind when you get there.

Open on the map

Many of these are shrines, schools and people’s streets. Read the conduct note before you go.

Locations · 89

Morioka Castle

Iwate Start here

The Nanbu clan seat; its granite walls stand in what is now a park.

Getting there
Kami-Morioka Stn · 20 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Tagajo

Miyagi

The ruins of the Nara-period provincial seat and stockade of Mutsu.

Getting there
Kokufu-Tagajo Stn · 6 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Sendai Castle

Miyagi

Date Masamune’s castle on Aoba hill; the walls and his equestrian statue remain.

Getting there
International Center Stn · 14 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Kubota Castle

Akita

The Satake seat at Akita — an earthwork castle with no keep, now Senshu Park.

Getting there
Akita Stn · 13 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Yamagata Castle

Yamagata

Mogami Yoshiaki’s castle; the moat and a rebuilt main gate remain.

Getting there
Yamagata Stn · 8 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Tsuruga Castle, Aizu

Fukushima

The Aizu castle, pulled down after the 1868 siege and rebuilt in 1965.

Getting there
Nishi-Wakamatsu Stn · 22 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Komine Castle

Fukushima

The Shirakawa castle, with a three-storey turret rebuilt in wood.

Getting there
Shirakawa Stn · 5 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Mito Castle

Ibaraki

The Mito Tokugawa seat; its gate and rebuilt main gate remain.

Getting there
Mito Stn · 9 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Hachigata Castle

Saitama

A Hojo castle on the Arakawa cliffs, its earthworks and ditches intact.

Getting there
Orihara Stn · 19 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Edo Castle

Tokyo

The shogun’s castle; the keep base and walls stand in the East Gardens.

Getting there
Nagatacho Stn · 17 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Odawara Castle

Kanagawa

The Hojo stronghold; the keep is a 1960 reconstruction.

Getting there
Odawara Stn · 9 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Kofu Castle

Yamanashi

Built after the Takeda fell; the walls look over the Kofu basin.

Getting there
Kofu Stn · 5 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Ueda Castle

Nagano

The Sanada castle, known for turning back two Tokugawa armies.

Getting there
Ueda Stn · 13 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Matsumoto Castle

Nagano

One of the twelve surviving keeps; the black tower reflects in its moat.

Getting there
Kita-Matsumoto Stn · 14 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Kasugayama Castle

Niigata

Uesugi Kenshin’s seat; the whole hill is terraced with its enclosures.

Getting there
Kasugayama Stn · 21 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Takaoka Castle

Toyama

Maeda Toshinaga’s castle; its water moats survive as a park.

Getting there
Etchu-Nakagawa Stn · 10 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Sunpu Castle

Shizuoka

Where Ieyasu spent his last years; moats and turrets have been rebuilt.

Getting there
Shin-shizuoka Stn · 13 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Kakegawa Castle

Shizuoka

Yamauchi Kazutoyo’s castle; the keep was rebuilt in wood in 1994.

Getting there
Kakegawa Stn · 10 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Inuyama Castle

Aichi

A surviving keep above the Kiso river, and a National Treasure.

Getting there
Inuyama-Yūen Stn · 14 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Nagoya Castle

Aichi

A Tokugawa branch seat; the keep burned in 1945 and was rebuilt in 1959.

Getting there
Nagoyajo Stn · 8 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Okazaki Castle

Aichi

The castle Ieyasu was born in; the keep is a 1959 rebuild.

Getting there
Okazakikōen-mae Stn · 7 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Nagashino Castle

Aichi

The castle of the 1575 siege; its earthworks and ditches remain.

Getting there
Nagashinojo Stn · 10 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Iga-Ueno Castle

Mie

Todo Takatora’s castle of high stone walls; the keep is a 1935 wooden rebuild.

Getting there
Uenoshi Stn · 7 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Matsusaka Castle

Mie

Gamo Ujisato’s castle; its stone walls stand throughout.

Getting there
Matsusaka Stn · 14 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Odani Castle

Shiga

The Azai clan’s mountain castle, taken in 1573.

Getting there
Kawake Stn · 35 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Hikone Castle

Shiga

The Ii family castle — a surviving keep and a National Treasure.

Getting there
Hikone Stn · 20 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Azuchi Castle

Shiga

Nobunaga’s castle; the great stone stairway and foundations remain.

Getting there
Azuchi Stn · 25 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Kannonji Castle

Shiga

The Rokkaku mountain castle; walls lie scattered over Mt. Kinugasa.

Getting there
Azuchi Stn · 10 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Nijo Castle

Kyoto

The Tokugawa castle in Kyoto; its Ninomaru palace is original. A World Heritage site.

Getting there
Nijojo-mae Stn · 8 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Akashi Castle

Hyogo

A castle site where two three-storey turrets still stand side by side.

Getting there
Akashi Stn · 10 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Himeji Castle

Hyogo

The white keep and its linked towers — a National Treasure and World Heritage site.

Getting there
Kyōguchi Stn · 19 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Ako Castle

Hyogo

The Asano castle, surrendered after the incident of 1701.

Getting there
Banshu-Ako Stn · 20 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Wakayama Castle

Wakayama

The Kii Tokugawa seat; the keep is a 1958 rebuild.

Getting there
Wakayamashi Stn · 18 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Matsue Castle

Shimane

A surviving keep and a National Treasure; boats run its moat.

Getting there
Matsue-Shinjiko-Onsen Stn · 16 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Tsuyama Castle

Okayama

The Mori castle; known for its tiered walls and cherry trees.

Getting there
Tsuyama Stn · 15 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Okayama Castle

Okayama

Known for its black-boarded keep, with Korakuen garden across the river.

Getting there
Nishigawara Stn · 25 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Fukuyama Castle

Hiroshima

The castle you can see from the shinkansen platform; the keep was rebuilt in 1966.

Getting there
Fukuyama Stn · 6 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Hiroshima Castle

Hiroshima

The keep collapsed in the atomic bombing and was rebuilt in 1958.

Getting there
Jōhoku Stn · 7 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Tokushima Castle

Tokushima

The Hachisuka castle; its garden and walls remain.

Getting there
Tokushima Stn · 12 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Takamatsu Castle

Kagawa

A castle whose moat is filled from the sea; sea bream swim in it.

Getting there
Takamatsu-Chikko Stn · 10 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Marugame Castle

Kagawa

A surviving keep on what is held to be the tallest stone walling in Japan.

Getting there
Marugame Stn · 11 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Imabari Castle

Ehime

Todo Takatora’s castle at the water’s edge; the sea fills its moat.

Getting there
Imabari Stn · 22 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Yuzuki Castle

Ehime

The Kono clan’s castle site, beside Dogo Onsen.

Getting there
Dogo Onsen Stn · 7 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Matsuyama Castle

Ehime

A surviving keep on the hill above the city, reached by ropeway.

Getting there
Komachi Stn · 18 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Ozu Castle

Ehime

A castle on the Hiji river; the keep was rebuilt in wood in 2004.

Getting there
Iyo-Ōzu Stn · 6 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Uwajima Castle

Ehime

A surviving Date-clan keep on a hill in the middle of town.

Getting there
Uwajima Stn · 3 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Kochi Castle

Kochi

The only castle where the keep and the main palace both survive.

Getting there
Iriake Stn · 2 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Shimabara Castle

Nagasaki

The castle of the 1637 rebellion; the keep is a 1964 rebuild.

Getting there
Shimabara Stn · 11 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Hitoyoshi Castle

Kumamoto

The Sagara castle on the Kuma river; its walls remain.

Getting there
Sagarahanganjoji Stn · 5 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Obi Castle

Miyazaki

The Ito castle, with cedar groves and a samurai quarter around it.

Getting there
Obi Stn · 23 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Kagoshima Castle

Kagoshima

The Shimazu seat; its main gate was rebuilt in 2020.

Getting there
Kagoshima Stn · 16 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Shurijo Castle

Okinawa

The Ryukyu royal castle; the main hall burned in 2019 and is being rebuilt.

Getting there
Gibo Stn · 2 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Hirosaki Castle

Aomori

A surviving keep in Tsugaru, known for its cherry blossom.

Getting there
Chūō-Hirosaki Stn · 18 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Sakura Castle

Chiba

An earthwork castle with no stone walls; now a park beside the national museum.

Getting there
Keisei-Sakura Stn · 20 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Fukuoka Castle

Fukuoka

The Kuroda castle site, beside Ohori Park.

Getting there
Ōhorikōen Stn · 11 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Yoshinogari Site

Saga

A moated Yayoi-period settlement, with watchtowers and pit dwellings rebuilt.

Getting there
Yoshinogarikoen Stn · 17 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Kumamoto Castle

Kumamoto

Kato Kiyomasa’s castle; damaged in the 2016 earthquake, the keep has been restored.

Getting there
Kami-Kumamoto Stn · 12 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Sakado Castle

Niigata

The mountain castle of the Ueda Nagao, said to be where Naoe Kanetsugu was born.

Getting there
Muikamachi Stn · 14 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Minakuchi Castle

Shiga

Built as a shogunal lodging; the moat and a rebuilt turret remain.

Getting there
Minakuchi-Jonan Stn · 3 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Matsumae Castle

Hokkaido

Built late in the shogunate to guard the north; the keep is a 1961 rebuild.

Getting there
90 min by bus from Kikonai Stn · 5 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Nihonmatsu Castle

Fukushima

The Niwa clan castle; its walls step up the hillside.

Getting there
Nihonmatsu Stn · 20 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Kanayama Castle

Gunma

A medieval castle of stacked stone on the hill above Ota.

Getting there
20 min by car from Ota Stn · 15 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Takeda Residence (Takeda Shrine)

Yamanashi

The residence of three generations of Takeda; a shrine stands on it now.

Getting there
10 min by bus from Kofu Stn · 2 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Matsushiro Castle

Nagano

Built after Kawanakajima and held by the Sanada; the gates and moat are restored.

Getting there
30 min by bus from Nagano Stn · 5 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Komoro Castle

Nagano

A castle set below its own town; now the Kaikoen park.

Getting there
Komoro Stn · 3 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Shibata Castle

Niigata

Known for the turret that carries three shachi on its roof.

Getting there
Shibata Stn · 20 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Kanazawa Castle

Ishikawa

The castle of the Kaga domain; its turrets are rebuilt under white lead tiles.

Getting there
15 min by bus from Kanazawa Stn · 5 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Ichijodani Castle

Fukui

The Asakura valley seat and its mountain castle; the whole town below has been excavated.

Getting there
Ichijodani Stn · 25 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Gifu Castle

Gifu

The castle on Mt. Kinka, renamed Gifu by Nobunaga.

Getting there
15 min by bus from Gifu Stn, then the ropeway · 8 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Yamanaka Castle

Shizuoka

A Hojo earthwork castle guarding the Hakone road; its lattice ditches remain.

Getting there
30 min by bus from Mishima Stn · 5 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Takeda Castle

Hyogo

A stone castle on a ridge, known for floating above the autumn sea of cloud.

Getting there
On foot from Takeda Stn by the hill path · 40 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Sasayama Castle

Hyogo

Built in 1609; its great hall has been rebuilt.

Getting there
15 min by bus from Sasayamaguchi Stn · 5 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Takatori Castle

Nara

One of the three great mountain castles, its walls left at 580 m.

Getting there
On foot from Tsubosakayama Stn by the hill path · 60 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Tottori Castle

Tottori

Known for the starvation siege of 1581; walls climb the slope of Mt. Kyusho.

Getting there
10 min by bus from Tottori Stn · 5 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Tsuwano Castle

Shimane

Walls along the ridge above the town, reached by a chairlift from below.

Getting there
Tsuwano Stn and the chairlift · 20 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Bitchu-Matsuyama Castle

Okayama

A surviving keep at 430 m — the highest of them in Japan.

Getting there
Bus from Bitchu-Takahashi Stn, then on foot · 20 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Kinojo

Okayama

A seventh-century mountain fortress; a rebuilt gate and its earth walls ring the ridge.

Getting there
25 min by car from Soja Stn · 10 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Yoshida-Koriyama Castle

Hiroshima

The Mori seat, its enclosures spread over the whole hill.

Getting there
Bus from Yoshidaguchi Stn · 15 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Iwakuni Castle

Yamaguchi

The castle on the hill above the Kintai bridge; the keep is a 1962 rebuild.

Getting there
20 min by bus from Iwakuni Stn, then the ropeway · 5 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Nagoya Castle, Hizen

Saga

The base Hideyoshi built for the Korean invasions; its walls spread over the headland.

Getting there
45 min by bus from Karatsu Stn · 5 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Hirado Castle

Nagasaki

The Matsura castle above the harbour; the keep is a 1962 rebuild.

Getting there
20 min by bus from Tabira-Hiradoguchi Stn · 10 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Funai Castle

Oita

A castle site in the middle of Oita; moat, turrets and a covered bridge remain.

Getting there
Oita Stn · 10 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Minowa Castle

Gunma

The Nagano clan’s earthwork castle; deep cuts sever the ridge.

Getting there
30 min by bus from Takasaki Stn · 10 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Iwamura Castle

Gifu

One of the three great mountain castles, at 717 m; its six-tier wall remains.

Getting there
Iwamura Stn · 30 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Chihaya Castle

Osaka

The Kongo-mountain castle where Kusunoki Masashige held off an army.

Getting there
40 min by bus from Kawachinagano Stn · 20 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Gassan-Toda Castle

Shimane

The Amago seat — a mountain castle that used the whole of its hill.

Getting there
30 min by bus from Yasugi Stn · 15 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Ono Castle

Fukuoka

A fortress of 664; its earth walls and foundations lie on Mt. Shiouji.

Getting there
20 min by car from Dazaifu Stn · 20 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Nakijin Castle

Okinawa

The northern Ryukyu lord’s castle; its curved walls follow the ridge. A World Heritage site.

Getting there
50 min by bus from Nago Bus Terminal · 5 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

Nakagusuku Castle

Okinawa

A Ryukyu castle of six linked wards, its masonry almost wholly intact. A World Heritage site.

Getting there
60 min by bus from Naha Bus Terminal · 5 min walk
Before you go
  • Keep your voice down
  • Very crowded — expect queues
Sources
聖地巡礼マップ — 御城プロジェクト:RE 〜CASTLE DEFENSE〜

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