Wakayama Castle

Welcome to Wakayama Castle, a magnificent fortress that has stood as the political and cultural heart of this region for over four hundred years. Originally commissioned in 1585 by Toyotomi Hidenaga on the orders of his brother,…

Our journey begins at the Otemon, the massive main gate of the castle. This structure, a 'Yagura-mon' style gate, combines a heavy timber portal with a defensive watchtower above. …

One of the most remarkable features of Wakayama Castle is the diversity of its stone walls (Ishigaki). Because the castle was expanded and repaired over several centuries, it serves as an open-air museum of construction…

We now approach one of Wakayama Castle's most unique architectural gems: the Ohashi-roka. This is a covered, sloping bridge that spans the moat between the Ninomaru (administrative area) and the Nishinomaru (the lord's relaxation…

Descending from the bridge, we enter the Momijidani Garden, or the 'Valley of Maples.' Constructed in the early Edo period by the first Kishu lord, Tokugawa Yorinobu, this garden is a masterpiece of 'Chisen-kaiyu-shiki' or…

We now ascend the final steep path to the Tenshu, the main keep of Wakayama Castle. This is a 'Renritsu-shiki' or connected-style keep, where the main tower (Daitenshu) is linked to smaller towers (Kotenshu) and gates by a series…

A peculiar and charming feature of Wakayama Castle is the inclusion of a small animal zoo within the castle grounds. Established in 1915, it is one of the oldest zoos in Japan and one of only four zoos in the country located…

As we conclude our tour of Wakayama Castle, I hope you carry a sense of the layers of history that are carved into this hillside. We have traced the evolution of military engineering through its diverse stone walls, walked the…