Wakayama Castle will be in the Best Autumn Season in 2 weeks.

和歌山城紅葉

Wakayama castle is1 hour train ride from the Kansai Airport. 10 minutes walk from Wakayamashi station and you can see a massive medieval Japanese castle from the highway 26. Wakayama locates south of Osaka and Kyoto. The weather is much warmer than Osaka and mikan (mandarine orange) is the special product of this district for more than 400 years. Autumn to winter is the time for mikan if you have a chance to visit, you should try one. Also, autumn leaves are beautiful in the garden of Wakayama castle.

Ishigaki- Stone Wall Is One to Look at Wakayama Castle

和歌山城石垣

和歌山城和泉砂岩石垣In Japanese casltes, ishigaki (stone wall or base) structures tell the history of the castle. In Wakayama castle there is unusual shaped ishigaki. Close to the centre of the castle, you can see ishigaki which were built about 400 years ago. Stones were brought in from near the castle and the structure style is “Nozura” (stacking natural stones as they are). The castle was expanded in later years, so in the outer parts of the castle, you can see “Uchikomi-Hagi” (stacking shaped stones and putting in small stones in the empty spaces.) Wakayama castle shows the early stage of ishigaki in Japanese history.

Most of the Buildings were Burned Down in WWII

和歌山城追い回し門

The main tower (donjon) and most of the buildings were burnt in the air raid in the second World War. However, Oimawashimon and Okaguchimon gates survived.

The Sloping Covered Bridge is Difficult to Walk

和歌山城御橋廊下

和歌山城御橋廊下内部Ohashiroka or a sloping and covered bridge used to join two buildings in the castle. This bridge is unusually sloped, so the floor has bumpy edges. It is painful and clumsy to walk.

Ishigaki Fossils

和歌山城化石1和歌山城化石-砂の丸The stones were brought from the Ocean, so there are several fossils in Wakayama castle. One is by the Ohashiroka and one is in Sunanomaru Park. You should try to find fossil stones there.

November is the time for Autumn Leaves

和歌山城西の丸庭園

Nishinomaru Park is perfect for autumn scenery and the best season is approaching. This park will be illuminated from November to early December.

Summary of Wakayama Castle

和歌山城

Wakayama castle is an interesting castle. For example Ishigaki displays the transformation of civil engineering old time Japan. Other famous castles such as Kumamoto castle and Himeji castle have much more complex ishigaki and their older ishigaki have been restored or merged into newer ishigaki, so it is not easy to see the complete shapes of old ishigaki. Most parts of large and important castles’ Ishigaki are usually completely restored, but in Wakayama castle shows a restoration around a preserved older centre. Thanks to that we can still see 400 year old Ishigaki.

Profile for Castle

 
Wakayama Castle, 3 Ichibancho, Wakayama, Wakayama Prefecture 640-8146
Name of Castle
Wakayama Castle(和歌山城)
Overview
Hirayama castle which Hideyoshi built after the pacified the Kishu. Later it became the residence of the Kishu Tokugawa family in the Tokugawa era.
Lord of a castle
Hidenaga Toyotomi, Yoshinaga Asano, Yorinobu Tokugawa
Location
Wakayama Castle, 3 Ichibancho, Wakayama, Wakayama Prefecture 640-8146
Access
10 min walk from Nankai Wakayamashi Station.
From JR Wakayama Station take #0 or #25 bus, and get off at "Koenmae."
Hour
9:00 – 17:00
定休日
12/29 - 1/3
料金
Castle tower entrance fee: ¥410
オフィシャルサイト

Related Articles

弘前城 外堀と満開の桜

Cherry Blossoms Festival in Hirosaki Aomori

大阪城サムネイル

Osaka’s Symbolic Monument: Osaka Castle’s Donjon was the First Restored Donjon in Japan.

弘前城紅葉

10 Best Castles to Enjoy Beautiful Autumn Leaves

鬼ノ城

Tips of Enjoying Japanese Castles: Its Location and History

江戸城の門

Vast Property of Edo Castle Many Traces Remains in Tokyo

小田原城 馬出門

The Ocean View from Odawara Castle is Great But…

八王子城 入り口

Hachioji Castle – the prominent mountain Castle near Tokyo

お城・遺跡現地説明会一覧

  • 登録されているイベント情報はありません。

歴史イベント

  • 登録されているイベント情報はありません。

最新の記事

TOP