Most viewed - Wakayama city 和歌山市 |
Wakayama Castle is a short bus ride from JR Wakayama Station. The East Moat (東堀) is what you see when you get off at the Koen-mae bus stop. The Ichinohashi Bridge at Otemon Gate is on the right.470 views
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Map of Wakayama Castle.277 views
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Wakayama Castle as seen from Inui Turret. 243 views
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Cherry blossoms and Wakayama Castle tower.230 views
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Wakayama Castle's main castle tower is connected to a corridor leading to two other turrets. On the left is the entrance to this castle tower complex (tenshu-kuruwa 天守郭).229 views
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Wakayama Castle216 views
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210 views
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Sakura along the east moat.185 views
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Ichinohashi Bridge (一の橋) leading to Otemon Gate (大手門) is the main entrance to the Wakayama Castle, open 9 am - 5:30 pm. Closed Dec. 29-31. Both the bridge and gate were reconstructed in 1983.157 views
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Wakayama Castle is famous for cherry blossoms in early April. I visited when it was in full bloom. 148 views
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Path to Omotezaka entrance.148 views
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Wakayama Castle tower was destroyed again by World War II bombing on July 9, 1945. It was reconstructed in ferro-concrete in Oct. 1958.143 views
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A partial maze to make it harder for any attackers to enter the castle. 一中門跡138 views
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Sakura near Okaguchi-mon Gate.134 views
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The Ura-zaka sloping path to the castle tower is a mild climb up.132 views
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Almost to the castle tower.131 views
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In 1619, Tokugawa Yorinobu, Ieyasu's 10th son, became the castle lord establishing the Kii clan, one of three key Tokugawa Gosanke clans (along with Owari and Mito).130 views
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Wakayama Castle's Ohashiroka Bridge is a covered corridor connecting Ninomaru and Nishinomaru. Only the castle lord's immediate attendants could cross the bridge, and so it was completely covered. 御橋廊下130 views
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130 views
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Wakayama Castle is on 48.9-meter-high Mt. Torafusu (虎伏) which resembles a tiger lying on its side when seen from the ocean. The castle is also called Torafusu-jo (lying tiger castle). This tiger statue was created in 1959.127 views
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Entrance to Ura-zaka Nobori-guchi sloping path to the tenshukaku castle tower (donjon). 裏坂登り口126 views
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Wakayama Castle is noted for various styles of castle wall. 野面積み126 views
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Castle tower overlooks Ninomaru.125 views
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Ninomaru Garden is full of cherries. The Ninomaru was the site of the castle palace where the lord and his ladies resided. 二の丸庭園125 views
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Castle foundation wall125 views
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Castle tower entrance roof has a Chinese cusped gable (karahafu). 唐破風125 views
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Model of Wakayama Castle125 views
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125 views
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125 views
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Wakayama Castle in April.124 views
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Kusunoki-mon Gate (front side), reconstructed in 1950. This gate was lost along with the castle tower in July 1945. 楠門124 views
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Samurai armor, etc., are displayed.124 views
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Steps up to the castle tower.123 views
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The 50-year-old castle tower is in need of a paint job.123 views
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Wakayama Castle tower was struck by lightning in 1846 and destroyed by fire. It was rebuilt in 1850 by special permission from the shogunate which normally did not allow castles to be rebuilt.122 views
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Oimawashimon Gate. Renovated in 1985. 追廻門122 views
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Pistol121 views
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Inside Wakayama Castle tower, a museum.121 views
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Tree growing on castle wall.120 views
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Entrance to the castle tower complex is via this gate called Kusunoki-mon. 楠門120 views
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Wakayama Castle tower (donjon) and cherry blossoms.120 views
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The castle tower is in need of a paint job.120 views
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Steps tp Kusunoki-mon Gate.120 views
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On the lookout deck of Wakayama Castle, looking toward Kusunoki Gate and Ninomon Turret.120 views
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View of Wakayama castle tower from Inui Turret.120 views
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Wakayama Castle tower is now a modern museum with three stories.119 views
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Wakayama Castle tower (donjon).119 views
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Cherry blossoms on the way to the castle tower.118 views
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Site of Ichinomon Gate. 一の門跡118 views
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Finally we see the main castle tower amid cherry blossoms.118 views
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Kusunoki-mon 楠門118 views
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Stairs to Inui Turret. 118 views
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Inui Turret118 views
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Path to Okaguchi-mon Gate, the castle's back entrance built by Tokugawa Yorinobu.118 views
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Castle tower stone foundation wall.117 views
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117 views
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Inside Ninomon Turret, totally modern with hardly any views. Caged windows do not help at all. 二の門櫓117 views
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Inside Inui Turret 乾櫓117 views
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Tree growing on castle stone foundation.117 views
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Entrance to Ohashiroka Bridge which was completed in April 2006. Free admission.117 views
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Okaguchi-mon Gate, seen from the outside. In 1960, it was disassembled and repaired.117 views
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Cherry blossoms as seen from Okaguchi-mon Gate.117 views
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Wakayama Castle was originally built in 1585 by Toyotomi Hidenaga upon the order of elder brother Hideyoshi. The construction was directed by renown castle architect Lord Todo Takatora, native of Omi (Shiga Prefecture).116 views
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Looking toward Inui Turret116 views
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Corridor leading to Inui Turret.116 views
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Corridor to Ninomon Turret. The corridor is connected to the main castle tower (donjon).116 views
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Inside Ohashiroka Bridge. The floor has planks of wood whose edges are kind of painful for bare feet. (You have to take off your shoes to enter.)116 views
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View from inside Ohashiroka Bridge, looking toward the castle tower.116 views
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Portrait of Tokugawa Yorinobu. His descendants went on to produce six Tokugawa shoguns: Yoshimune, Ieshige, Ieharu, Ienari, Ieyoshi, and Iemochi (Yoshitomi).115 views
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Portrait of Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune who was from Wakayama.115 views
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Wakayama Castle115 views
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Markings can be found on the stones.115 views
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The Ohashiroka Bridge is made of wood with a slight slope. It is a rare castle structure. 御橋廊下115 views
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Wakayama Castle's Ohashiroka Bridge and the castle tower. The bridge is a corridor connecting Ninomaru and Nishinomaru. 御橋廊下115 views
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Cherries droop over a castle wall.114 views
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114 views
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From the lookout deck of Wakayama Castle, you can see the connected corridors leading to the two turrets.114 views
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Top floor of Wakayama Castle tower with a nice balcony for fine views of Wakayama.114 views
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114 views
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Entrance to Nishinomaru Teien Garden. Also called Momijidani Teien Garden.114 views
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Nishinomaru Teien Garden was originally built by Tokugawa Yorinobu. Renovated in 1973. Noted for maple leaves in fall, a pond, and a floating pavilion called the Engyokaku (鳶魚閣) (left).114 views
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Panoramic view of cherry blossoms and Okaguchi-mon Gate.114 views
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Stone foundation wall of the castle tower.113 views
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Inui Turret 乾櫓113 views
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Castle tower exit113 views
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Lookimg toward Omotemon Gate.113 views
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Stairs to Ninomon Turret.113 views
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Basement steps113 views
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View from inside Ohashiroka Bridge, looking toward the North Moat.113 views
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Ninomaru113 views
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Inside the Engyokaku pavilion (no entry).113 views
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Kusunoki-mon (back side) 楠門112 views
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The final corridor leads to the exit.112 views
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112 views
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From the North Moat, we see the Ohashiroka Bridge which was completed in April 2006.112 views
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112 views
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Wakayama Castle marker outside Okaguchi-mon Gate.112 views
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Okaguchi-mon Gate, an Important Cultural Property. One of the few structures still remaining from the Edo Period. 岡口門112 views
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North Moat 北堀111 views
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Nishinomaru Teien Garden 111 views
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Wakayama Castle tower and Kusunoki-mon Gate.110 views
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110 views
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110 views
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Nishinomaru Teien Garden pond. The garden is a National Scenic Place.110 views
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Looking toward Inui Turret109 views
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109 views
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Wakayama Castle as seen from inside the tower complex.108 views
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Inui Turret and cherry blossoms. 乾櫓108 views
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Wakayama's industrial complex in the distance.108 views
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Ohashiroka Bridge entrance on the other end.108 views
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108 views
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Omote-zaka steps to the castle tower.108 views
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Okaguchi-mon Gate and cherry blossoms. This part of the castle has the heaviest concentration of sakura.107 views
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