Jcastle.info Comments

Sakura Castle

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:20:11 GMT

Interesting grounds to walk around for both the castle ruins and the history of the area. The park has numerous photos of old buildings and ruins marked. The park was also used as army barracks during the war and these areas are also marked out.

Iwasaki Castle

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:38:32 GMT

Short drive from Nagoya, and short stop on the way to the more interesting ruins of the Daikyu castle. This castle has a few interesting features such a the contrivance with its interesting musical sounds and the remains of an ancient well and a turret.

Jindaiji Castle

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:09:35 GMT

This castle is an easy drive from central Tokyo and not far from the American school, cant believe I drove by this on the way to dropping kids off at school for years and didn't realize it was there. While this castle is simply ruins and forms part of the botanical gardens, the neighboring area and shrine make it well worth the trip.

Okazaki Castle

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:05:08 GMT

Visited this castle as part of a weekend trip to Nagoya. Nice little castle with interesting grounds to walk around, worth the visit.

Nagoya Castle

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:02:09 GMT

Revisited this castle on the weekend, last time was 7 years ago before I was really interested in the history of castles in Japan. I was impressed with the work that is being undertaken with the restoration of the Hommaru Palace. After viewing so many concrete reconstructions it is encouraging to see a traditional reconstruction. The detail in the workmanship not to mention the smell of the timber was fantastic. I hope I am still around to see the completion.

Odawara Castle

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:35:54 GMT

Went to Odawara castle today. I still maintain it is a really nice site to take others to simply for a day out sightseeing. It looks really good considering it was built in the 60s; and the ongoing gate reconstructions in latter years are a sort of living testament to how far the art of castle reconstruction has come since then. To answer the questions about the zoo, the elephant, Umeko, passed away September 17th 2009, at the age of 62. Some Japanese monkeys in a cage are all that remain at the site.

Kannonji Castle

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 14:24:20 GMT

I absolutely loved visiting this castle. I went in february and I didn't encounter a single soul during the hours I was there, which was pretty magical in itself. I took the route up the mountain via Kuwanomi dera, but I had no idea of the entire layout of the castle so I only really saw the honmaru. However, on the path from the honmaru to the Kannonshoji temple, there was a small overgrown trail on the left that went to the very top of the Kinugasa mountain, which offerend one of the best views of lake Biwa, mount Azuchi and a whole lot more. I plan to go back as soon as I get back to Japan. A highly recommended castle site!

Nakijin Castle

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 14:57:40 GMT

Love this castle site! Gorgeous panaramic views!!!

Tobayama Castle and Yogai Castle

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:06:47 GMT

Thanks Kris. All the credit for Tobayama goes to RaymondW, but I might put it on the list of places to visit this year. The Tobayama-Fuatamata set looks fun. I also like your idea of taking the bus to Yougai and walking back. I may try that.

Tobayama Castle and Yogai Castle

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:31:17 GMT

Thank you for uploading both of them. It was really hard to find information about Tobayama in English before. Great description and photos. As for Yougai-san, I went by car so I don`t know about the bus situation, but I think you could definitely do all three in day trip. A really energetic castle enthusiast could probably hike up from Tsutsujigasaki and then get the bus or a taxi back. Then again, starting from Yougai then hiking down to Tsutsujigasaki and then down to Kofu does sound like wonderfully historically chronological day out.

Matsumoto Castle

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:55:33 GMT

This is my favourite castle so far. Visiting at the start of Feb on a sunny winters day was great. No people, me and Kris had the place to ourselves.

Kanayama Castle

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 04:27:47 GMT

Easy drive from Tokyo, the mist over the mountain and snow scattered across the ground gave a great feel to these ruins. Interesting ruins to walk around, you can appreciate why this castle withstood it numerous attackers. Further excavations are still underway and can be seen, it is a huge site with good English explanations and a museum at the foot of the hill. The Daikoin shrine is also worth checking out as well.

Odawara Castle

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:51:48 GMT

When I was stationed in Japan went often to this area. Visited this castle in 1962 and as I recall a elephant kept there also. Have often wondered through the years if the elephant was still there. For a reconstructed castle it is very nice-don't miss it if in the Hakone Mtn area.

Shuri Castle

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 12:06:03 GMT

Yeah, Frank....I hate to break it to you but it is an Okinawan Castle. It has obvious Chinese influences, but it is technically a Japanese Castle (and a beautiful one at that).

Nagoya Castle

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:04:27 GMT

Hi Thomas. I did read that recently. As you say I can't imagine when it would ever be finished. I assume they'd have to tear down the old main keep for several years to build it too which could be unfortunate.

Nagoya Castle

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:17:17 GMT

Did you know that the mayor of Nagoya, Kawamura Takashi, put forward the plan to actually rebuilt the tenshu in wood? I really hope this will happen, altough the cost and time it would take to do that would be enormous, considering how long it's going to take for them to finish the honmaru palace.

Inuyama Castle

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:41:05 GMT

Second time at this castle, this time made sure I got to the 2 other museums down the road opposite, that were included in the ticket price. Love the walk from the station along the river with the castle perched on the hill over looking your progress

Matsusaka Castle

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:46:22 GMT

Also, just checked out the profile for Tamaru castle. No - that wasn`t the mysterious building but it does look like an amazing place to visit. Next time...

Matsusaka Castle

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:39:27 GMT

Fantastic new pics. Matsusaka - a must-see for stone wall enthusiasts - great description. Please feel free to update my half-written history notes too. (I just submitted information on Yougai-san but I haven`t been to any castles yet for the New Year). Also, just curious, was Tamaru castle perhaps the strange castle-like building seen from the top, or was it a restaurant or wedding hall just shaped like a yagura? We really did this site in a rush so I have no idea what was in the rest of the town - I`d love to go back and see the street with the samurai homes on it.

Takada Castle

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:28:15 GMT

I do agree that it`s hard to take a good photo of the keep in Summer, which is a shame because it is a really nice reconstruction inside and out. I went here in late September; perhaps cherry blossoms, autumn leaves or winter snow might help make the trees seem less of a problem. I can't say about the afternoon either; I went in the morning when it was raining. Still, this is one of those buildings that seems to shine in the rain; that and the greenery made it very pretty. The view from the top floor out onto the causeway reminded me of Okayama`s Korakuen view a little and the scenic walk over the bright red bridge and along the side of a moat brimming full of lotus leaves was lovely. The museum inside was much like any other but they did have a Meiji Era print ranking castles of Japan like in a sumo tournament that was fascinating to compare to how most people rank Japanese castles now. Preparations seem to be under way for a 400th year celebration; in any case I supported them by buying a 400 years of Takada Castle hand towel. It is easy to get to this site, there are minimal English explanations, and if you are in the area it is worth seeing. You can get the bus from Takada to the base of Kasugayama, the information office at the station was very helpful in how and where; they also sold Uesugi `salt to give to your enemy` salt, which I think was my favourite souvenir of the trip

Kasugayama Castle

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:25:50 GMT

I was impressed by this site – it was far larger than I expected and excellently and informatively sign-posted in Japanese and English. The explanations cater to every possible reason you could have for visiting Kasugayama; history fan, castle fan, TV drama fan, manga fan, general Uesugi fan or Uesugi detractor, or perhaps you are just looking for an informative hike. For that reason, even though there wasn't so much remaining structure-wise, the place really came alive. Summer was a good time to visit with the pine trees poking up out of the verdant greenery on the one hand and the blue skies and sweeping view down to the plains on the other - although rain in the morning had turned the gravel paths into mini rivers and waterfalls. I wouldn't recommend this site on a rainy day. The staff were friendly and helpful; one guide pointed out aoso, a kind of local hemp, still growing wild on the mountain. The fibers from this plant were used to make cloth much prized in Kyoto, the sale of which provided a large part of the Uesugi income. Also, I'm not sure if it was just for public holidays or a regular occurrence, but there were people dressed up in period costumes too. My boyfriend teased me for being so eager to see the castle by saying Kenshin wouldn't be waiting at the top; when we finally got up the stairs I just pointed out the ashigaru and men in eboshi and smiled.

Kasugayama Castle

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:25:38 GMT

Yamanaka Castle

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 13:31:00 GMT

I went to this castle today. This castle is little bit hard to get to by public transport if you throw in all the traffic jams on the “Coming-of-Age” long weekend in January. The bus back to Mishima was late by over 30 minutes, and once it came, it took around 45 minutes to get back to JR Mishima Station. Still, if you are a yamashiro (mountaintop castle) fan and want to see some very well preserved moats and earthworks, then this is one castle ruin that you should not miss. There are all kinds of dry moats, some spanned by wooden bridges. The whole site is very well kept and free. From the Nishinomaru (Western Bailey) and the Daizaki Outer Bailey, one has a very fine view of the Mt. Fuji and nearby mountains on a fine day. Unfortunately, it was a bit cloudy today, so Mt. Fuji was shrouded in cloud. The siege and battle was over quite quickly. According to “日本を変えたしずおかの合戦” (Battles in Shizuoka Which Changed Japan), Toyotomi had 67,800 troops vs Hojo’s 4,000 to 5,000 defenders. With odds of at least 15 to 1, it is not surprising that the castle fell so quickly. It took me 2.5 hours to do this site quickly, but I reckon you could spend a good half day here if you bring along a packed lunch to enjoy while admiring the panoramic views from some of the baileys. Take the bus from the No.5 bus stop outside JR Mishima Station and catch the one with Hakone as its final destination. Get off at the Yamanaka Castle Ruin Stop. A one-way ticket cost 590yen and takes around 30 minutes if there are no traffic jams. The 100 Meijo stamp is in the little shop / restaurant opposite the bus stop when you get off. For me, this is a very good 2.5 stars because it is one of the few castle ruins which showcase so clearly the different types of dry moats used by Sengoku Period yamashiros.

Tanaka Castle

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 13:27:43 GMT

This was the second castle in Shizuoka visited this weekend. There isn’t much left of this rare circular flatland castle ruin. Most of it has been built over by schools and houses. The photos shown on this website are of original buildings from the castle and castle town preserved at a nearby castle park. The two-storey tower is an original fortification from the Honmaru (Main Bailey), as is the footman’s guardhouse, granary and a tea house. However, if you pick up a map from the volunteer guide at Tanaka Castle Park, you will find directions to some of the few remaining ruins of the castle left, mostly located around the local primary school. There is a section of the Sannomaru (Third Bailey) Water Moat preserved along with a section of earthen wall. There is part of the Ninomaru (Second Bailey) Water Moat left as well as part of a dry moat from one of the Umadashi. The volunteer guide was very helpful in providing a brief history of the castle as well as answering questions. He told us that Tanaka Castle is only one of two castles in Japan that was built with circular concentric moats as most Rinkakushiki (castles with concentric moats) like Nijo Castle have square or rectangular moats. Also, he pointed out two of the nearby yamashiro ruins (mountaintop castles) in the area: Asahiyama Castle (which can be seen on a little hill a few kilometers away) and Hanagura Castle. On leaving the castle park, he waved us to stop and gave us two English pamphlets about Tanaka Castle. Unlike some experiences in Japan, this guide was not overwhelmed by having a foreigner visit the local historical site. He spoke in simpler and slower Japanese, so I could follow most of his explanation. I didn’t need much help from my girlfriend in translating what he said. Like other volunteer guides at other castle sites like Kakegawa Castle and Sunpu Castle in Shizuoka, this man was professional, knowledgeable, and courteous. Top marks for volunteer guides in Shizuoka. One star for the original buildings found at the castle park, a half-star for the very few remnants left of this castle ruin, and top marks for the volunteer guide here. Overall, one star for this castle ruin and buildings in the castle park, but on the day, I certainly had a very good three-star experience thanks to the volunteer guide.

Takatenjin Castle

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 13:26:07 GMT

This was the first of three castle visits this weekend. As the website administrator have already mentioned, there isn’t much to see here at this castle ruin in terms of stone walls, fortifications, and other remaining structures. What remains at this castle site are some dry moats, ruins of some baileys, and some earthen walls. The Honmaru (Main Bailey), Ninomaru (Second Bailey), Sannomaru (Third Bailey) and the Baba Bailey are well kept and clear of undergrowth or bamboo which often cover the ruins of baileys found at other yamashiro ruins (mountaintop castles) from the Sengoku Period. The Nishimaru (West Bailey) is now the site for a shrine. Some of the routes throughout the castle are closed because of fallen trees, which have not been cleared. Don’t know when they will re-open some of the paths at this place. The trees must have been brought down in some typhoons (not recently) or typhoon-like conditions (recently?). It takes around 15 minutes walk from the bus stop to the trailhead at the base of the Otemon (Ote Gate). If you like taking photos and checking out all the features of this castle ruin, it will take around 1.5 to 2 hours to do this castle ruin properly. For me, this is a solid one-star castle ruin to visit, as long as you treat it as more of a bushwalk with some features of a castle ruin thrown in. I can see how other castle fans may rate this less, but (military) history buffs or Takeda fans will probably enjoy this site more.

Takiyama Castle

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 07:46:35 GMT

We visited this castle in combination with Hachioji castle and Jindaiji castle in Chofu. Similar to Hachioji with grounds and moats to explore but less features or atmosphere.

Hachioji Castle

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 07:41:42 GMT

Nice grounds and ruins to walk around with interesting reconstructions of bridges and walls. Lots of interesting hiking and Buddhist monuments scattered through out the hills and grounds, making it a peaceful and satisfying journey.

Wakayama Castle

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 13:59:40 GMT

I visited this castle today and was surprised at how nice it was! Outside it looks great but the museum inside has so many nice artifacts. I heard that these were not all there previously due to the rennovations so maybe those who went earlier would want to return.

Aizu Wakamatsu Castle

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:53:59 GMT

We visited this castle as part of two day trip to Fukushima and saw it in combination with the Abukuma-do caves and the old post town Ouichijuku. The castle and grounds were covered in snow, which set the scene for some great photos. The castle itself is a basic concrete reconstruction, but the area is well worth the visit. The drive though the mountains to the old postal town of Ouichijuku is magnificent.

Nihonmatsu Castle

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:44:20 GMT

Visited this castle in combination with Shirakawa. The grounds of the two castle ruins associated with Nihonmatsu are well worth the visit. Kris has a good write up of the features of this castle and I agree walking through the grounds as the sun is setting has a magical feel.

Shirakawa Castle

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:33:05 GMT

We first went to this castle just before the earthquake in March and was interested to see what damage had occurred since. I was very surprised to see how much structural damage had occurred to the outer walls that have temporarily closed access to the castle itself.

Iwakuni Castle

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 07:28:52 GMT

RaymondW below has done a good write up for Iwakuni, but it easily earns three stars. I give it 3.5 for all its merits.

Nagahama Castle

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 08:53:54 GMT

Went to this castle again yesterday, hoping to get some snowy shots of the castle. The bad news is that this castle is closed from 27th December until 2nd January. Most of the shops in the towns are closed from Boxing Day until New Year's Eve. Also, many of the shops in town are closed on Tuesdays (their regular day off each week.) Still, it was not a complete loss as I got some nice photos of Hikone Castle earlier in the day.

Hamamatsu Castle

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 11:39:08 GMT

There are numerous castles in this area that can be viewed in combination with a car. From Tokyo this is about a 3 and a half our drive each way if the roads stay clear. Again well worth the drive for the views of Fuji in the winter particularly with the sun setting behind her. The castle is located at the back of the ward office and while small runs information tours and has a considerable amount of historical information and photos of the area.

Oyama Castle

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 11:34:00 GMT

Another easy drive from Tokyo, but good to do in combination with other castles in the area, not worth a solo trip. Winter is a good time to few any of the castles in this area for the views of Fuji on the drive in and out of Tokyo. Castle wise it is a standard reconstruction with a few historical artifacts to view inside.

Futamata Castle

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 02:43:57 GMT

It takes around 50 minutes from Kakegawa Station to Futamata Honmachi Station on a one-carriage train on a little local non-JR train line. The castle ruin is around a 10 minute walk from the train station. Only three of the baileys, Honmaru (Main Bailey), Ninomaru (Second Bailey), and Kita Kuruwa (Northern Bailey) are easily accessible, signposted, and well-kept. Around the Honmaru and Ninomaru, ishigaki (stone walls) remain as well as the stone base of the castle keep. The Kurayashiki Bailey, can clearly be seen across the dry moat from the Ninomaru, but I decided not to venture inside as it was seriously overgrown, and there were signs up warning about the presence of poisonous snakes. By not going into the Kurayashiki Bailey, I also missed the Minami Kuruwa (Southern Bailey) linked to and located below the Kurayashiki Bailey. Some of the smaller baileys located west and below the Honmaru can clearly be seen on the path down to the Tenryu River, but these small baileys are overgrown with bamboo. One of these western baileys was so overgrown that I could not make it out. Several dry moats around the castle ruin can also be clearly seen. Surprisingly, some of the maple trees still have plenty of red leaves on them in late December. My girlfriend and I were the only ones there during the whole 45 minutes or so that we spent wandering around this castle ruin. For me, this is a 1.5 star site in autumn with the colourful red leaves and for being undiscovered by tourists.

Suwahara Castle

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 02:18:17 GMT

For fans of earlier and more “primitive’ yamashiros (mountaintop castles) which predates the larger Fushimi-Momoyama and Edo Period castles with tons of stone walls and massive castle keeps, this castle ruin is a very good one to visit. The castle designer made excellent use of the natural terrain. It has some of the deepest dry moats that I have seen at a yamashiro. The deepest ones, No.15 and No.16 on the eastern side are 60 metres from the bottom of the moat to the rim of the Honmaru (Main Bailey), and the ones on the western and southern sides are between 13 and 15 metres deep. These dry moats, in total 17, ring the whole castle with around two-thirds of them on the western and southern sides of the castle ruin. For fans of the Takeda Clan, and people who like to do a little bushwalking, this is a fine ruin to visit and easily be reached from JR Kanaya Station (2 to 3 trains an hour on weekends) in around 20 minutes walking uphill. I went with my girlfriend, and we were both impressed with its design. We also got lucky with the fine weather and could clearly see Mt. Fuji in the distance from one corner of the Honmaru overlooking the No.15 and No.16 moats. The current archaeological digging has moved on from the Ninomaru (Second Bailey), as shown in one of the photos on this website, to an area on the opposite side of the No.4 moat between the massive Northern Umadashi and the No.11 moat and area of the former stables. For me, I give this castle ruin two stars mainly for its impressive dry moats, the superb view of Mt. Fuji, its wooded surroundings, and the nearby old Tokaido (Tokai Road). I can see how for other castle fans, who prefer to see more fortified stone and wooden structures, would rate this castle ruin at 1 star or less.

Kakegawa Castle

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 02:11:41 GMT

This is a great reconstructed castle to revisit. Access is quite easy. It is just a 10 minute walk from JR Kakegawa Station. From the top of the castle keep, you can clearly see where Suwahara Castle Ruin is located to the east and Takatenjin Castle Ruin to the south. There is a helpful and friendly volunteer on the top floor who is quite happy to answer visitors’ questions. There isn’t much to see inside the castle keep. On the ground floor, there are some banners, a bronze statue of Yamanouchi, and some armour and weapons. At night, it was nicely lit up, too. Apart from the reconstructed wooden keep, there is an original palace which was rebuilt in 1861 after an earthquake. For me, this castle site is definitely worth four stars because of the wooden castle keep, the original palace rebuilt near the end of the Edo Period, and some original relocated castle structures nearby.

Sunpu Castle

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 06:33:00 GMT

Parts of two of the original three sets of concentric water moats remain, with the middle water moat surrounding the Ninonmaru (Second Bailey) being completely intact. The city has reconstructed the Higashi Gomon (East Gate) and the Tatsumi Yagura (Tatsumi Turret) from Japanese Cyprus. Inside the Higashi Gomon is a museum which includes some nice models of the castle keep, and a big diorama of how the castle and its town looked like during the Edo Period as well as information about the merchant town that grew up around the castle. There are also three nice drawings of and explanations about Azuchi Castle Keep, Osaka (Toyotomi’s Black) Castle Keep, and Sunpu’s Castle Keep side-by-side, so you can really compare the differences in style and design. Sunpu Castle had a keep, which burnt down in 1635 and was not rebuilt. The keep looked like it had five storeys on the outside with five sets of gable roofs, but internally it actually had seven floors. It was a mainly white castle keep with a green roof on the top storey and a section on one of the lower floors that looks in the drawing similar in design to the Tsukimi (Moon-Viewing) Tower part of Matsumoto Castle. The Tatsumi Yagura contains information about the reconstruction of the East Gate and the Tatsumi Turret. The ruins of the gates into the Ninomaru have survived minus the wooden gates. However, most of the Honmaru (Main Bailey) is now just a park with remnants of the innermost water moat left. Sunpu Castle is certainly a good place to visit to find out some information about the Tokugawa Clan as this was the castle where Ieyasu retired to and ranks second in importance after Edo Castle during the early part of the Edo Period. For this castle fan, it rates no higher than 2 stars because there just aren’t enough ruins left, and the fact that the entire Honmaru is now a park with no remains of the former palace or castle keep.

Tamaru Castle

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:28:00 GMT

I'm glad that you have added this little known gem of a castle ruin on your website. Your photos are great and really do justice to how much there is left at this ruin. Matsusaka Castle (one of the two 100 meijos in Mie) has more stone walls and a museum on site, but Tamaru Castle has more and a variety of defensive features left (stone walls, dry moats, water moats, earthen walls, one original gate.) For me, with the exception of when the autumn leaves are at their peak in early December at Matsusaka Castle, Tamaru Castle is the better one to visit.

Iwakuni Castle

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:26:43 GMT

Mountain top castle

Matsumoto Castle

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:26:12 GMT

Black castle of Matsumoto

Tsutsujigasaki Palace

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 15:40:12 GMT

I went here again last week. There is a lot of archaeological dig? work going on in the west kuruwa and most of it is covered by blue sheets. You can still access 90% of the site though. After that I went to nearby Yougai-san. (Where Takeda Shingen was born). The castle ruins there had more stone walls than I expected and even the rocks from a Japanese garden remaining and the trail was very well kept. If you aren`t into ruins then it won`t be your thing, but if you are into the Takeda clan, hiking, hot springs and mountaintop ruins I recommend it.

Tsu Castle

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 12:10:54 GMT

The autumn leaves are also at their peak now at this castle site. This was the third castle ruin that I made it to today after two others in Mie.

Matsusaka Castle

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 12:09:21 GMT

Re-visited this castle ruin today. It definitely looks better in December than in February. The autumn leaves at just about at the peak now. There are plenty of red leaves from some bushes as well as maple trees.

Kameyama Castle

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 11:58:18 GMT

Missed the connecting train to Matsusaka, so decided to pop out of the JR station and quickly re-visit this castle ruin before the next train came in 45 minutes. Well, there isn't much to see as the turret built on top of the tenshudai is being restored to a more original condition. Once it is finished, it will have white walls and more authentic windows like the ones you can see in other turrets and gates found at other Japanese castles. The restoration is scheduled to finish by 31st March 2012.

Takatori Castle

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 13:48:44 GMT

Autumn is the time to visit this great yamashiro. It is quite an extensive mountaintop castle with lots of baileys, but more than half of them are overgrown and not accessible, particularly the Yoshinoguchi series of baileys and the 20-odd baileys located between the Ninomon (Second Gate) and Matsunomon (Pine Gate). Still, the area around the Honmaru (main bailey), the "palace" bailey, and Ninomaru (second bailey) with its kaleidoscopic colourful autumn leaves certainly make this a great castle ruin to visit. Revised seasonal rating for this castle fan: four stars in autumn. BTW, a taxi ride to just below the honmaru from Tsubosakayama Station cost 2,100yen. I got there late with my girlfriend, so we decided to take the taxi up and walked down the mountain back to the station (roughly 4km). The taxi took Route 119 up, but for hikers, it is a different quiet country road passing through the heart of Takatori Town. One advantage of taking the taxi is that the driver will give you a pretty good map of the castle plus some other flyers about the town. BTW, the tourist info office was closed again by the time we got down from the mountain. Still haven't got the 100 Meijo stamp yet despite going to this castle ruin twice.

Takeda Castle

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 15:07:48 GMT

Generally speaking, ruins don't excite me in the least, and I will not stop to check them out when driving past. Takeda, though, is surely in a class by itself when it comes to ruins. Someone here has compared them to Machu Picchu, and the comparison is apt. The ruins are not only extensive, but they are also well cleared of overgrowth and offer spectacular views of the valley below. Pack a lunch and have a picnic!

Yamagata Castle

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 15:01:01 GMT

I have been here a few times over the last several years, and there always seems to be something going on and something new. What's nice is they're doing things the right way--as authentically as possible. If I get the chance to stop by next year, it will be interesting to see what's new.

Odani Castle

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 11:25:37 GMT

Just been to this again today. The autumn leaves are just about at their peak. Some of the older maps of the castle on some big billboards have been replaced by much simpler and clearer maps. The autumn leaves are much better here than at Kannonji Castle, which I visited yesterday.