 Last additions - Wakayama Castle 和歌山城 |
Map of Wakayama Castle.Apr 23, 2009
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Apr 23, 2009
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Apr 23, 2009
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Apr 23, 2009
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Sakura near Okaguchi-mon Gate.Apr 23, 2009
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Cherry blossoms as seen from Okaguchi-mon Gate.Apr 23, 2009
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Okaguchi-mon Gate, seen from the outside. In 1960, it was disassembled and repaired.Apr 23, 2009
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Sakura along the east moat.Apr 23, 2009
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Apr 23, 2009
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Panoramic view of cherry blossoms and Okaguchi-mon Gate.Apr 23, 2009
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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Apr 23, 2009
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Okaguchi-mon Gate and cherry blossoms. This part of the castle has the heaviest concentration of sakura.Apr 23, 2009
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Wakayama Castle marker outside Okaguchi-mon Gate.Apr 23, 2009
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Omote-zaka steps to the castle tower.Apr 23, 2009
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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.Apr 23, 2009
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Nishinomaru Teien Garden pond. The garden is a National Scenic Place.Apr 23, 2009
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Path to Okaguchi-mon Gate, the castle's back entrance built by Tokugawa Yorinobu.Apr 23, 2009
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Apr 23, 2009
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Ohashiroka Bridge entrance on the other end.Apr 23, 2009
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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).Apr 23, 2009
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Nishinomaru Teien Garden Apr 23, 2009
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Entrance to Nishinomaru Teien Garden. Also called Momijidani Teien Garden.Apr 23, 2009
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Inside the Engyokaku pavilion (no entry).Apr 23, 2009
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NinomaruApr 23, 2009
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Apr 23, 2009
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View from inside Ohashiroka Bridge, looking toward the castle tower.Apr 23, 2009
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From the North Moat, we see the Ohashiroka Bridge which was completed in April 2006.Apr 23, 2009
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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Apr 23, 2009
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Apr 23, 2009
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North Moat 北堀Apr 23, 2009
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Apr 23, 2009
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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.)Apr 23, 2009
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Entrance to Ohashiroka Bridge which was completed in April 2006. Free admission.Apr 23, 2009
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Apr 23, 2009
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View from inside Ohashiroka Bridge, looking toward the North Moat.Apr 23, 2009
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Oimawashimon Gate. Renovated in 1985. 追廻門Apr 23, 2009
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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Apr 23, 2009
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Inui TurretApr 23, 2009
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Basement stepsApr 23, 2009
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Tree growing on castle stone foundation.Apr 23, 2009
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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Apr 23, 2009
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Markings can be found on the stones.Apr 23, 2009
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Wakayama CastleApr 23, 2009
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The final corridor leads to the exit.Apr 23, 2009
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Wakayama Castle as seen from Inui Turret. Apr 23, 2009
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Apr 23, 2009
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Inside Inui Turret 乾櫓Apr 23, 2009
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View of Wakayama castle tower from Inui Turret.Apr 23, 2009
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Stairs to Inui Turret. Apr 23, 2009
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Corridor to Ninomon Turret. The corridor is connected to the main castle tower (donjon).Apr 23, 2009
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Stairs to Ninomon Turret.Apr 23, 2009
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Corridor leading to Inui Turret.Apr 23, 2009
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Inside Ninomon Turret, totally modern with hardly any views. Caged windows do not help at all. 二の門櫓Apr 23, 2009
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On the lookout deck of Wakayama Castle, looking toward Kusunoki Gate and Ninomon Turret.Apr 23, 2009
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Lookimg toward Omotemon Gate.Apr 23, 2009
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Looking toward Inui TurretApr 23, 2009
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Wakayama's industrial complex in the distance.Apr 23, 2009
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Portrait of Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune who was from Wakayama.Apr 23, 2009
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Model of Wakayama CastleApr 23, 2009
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Inside Wakayama Castle tower, a museum.Apr 23, 2009
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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).Apr 23, 2009
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Inui Turret and cherry blossoms. 乾櫓Apr 23, 2009
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Apr 23, 2009
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Top floor of Wakayama Castle tower with a nice balcony for fine views of Wakayama.Apr 23, 2009
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Samurai armor, etc., are displayed.Apr 23, 2009
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PistolApr 23, 2009
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From the lookout deck of Wakayama Castle, you can see the connected corridors leading to the two turrets.Apr 23, 2009
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Castle tower exitApr 23, 2009
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Castle tower entrance roof has a Chinese cusped gable (karahafu). 唐破風Apr 23, 2009
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Looking toward Inui TurretApr 23, 2009
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Kusunoki-mon (back side) 楠門Apr 23, 2009
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Wakayama Castle as seen from inside the tower complex.Apr 23, 2009
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Apr 23, 2009
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Inui Turret 乾櫓Apr 23, 2009
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Wakayama Castle tower and Kusunoki-mon Gate.Apr 23, 2009
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Castle tower stone foundation wall.Apr 23, 2009
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Cherry blossoms and Wakayama Castle tower.Apr 23, 2009
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Wakayama Castle tower (donjon).Apr 23, 2009
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Steps tp Kusunoki-mon Gate.Apr 23, 2009
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Kusunoki-mon 楠門Apr 23, 2009
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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Apr 23, 2009
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The castle tower is in need of a paint job.Apr 23, 2009
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Apr 23, 2009
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Wakayama Castle in April.Apr 23, 2009
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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).Apr 23, 2009
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Wakayama Castle tower (donjon) and cherry blossoms.Apr 23, 2009
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The 50-year-old castle tower is in need of a paint job.Apr 23, 2009
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Wakayama CastleApr 23, 2009
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Entrance to the castle tower complex is via this gate called Kusunoki-mon. 楠門Apr 23, 2009
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Wakayama Castle tower is now a modern museum with three stories.Apr 23, 2009
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Stone foundation wall of the castle tower.Apr 23, 2009
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Finally we see the main castle tower amid cherry blossoms.Apr 23, 2009
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Almost to the castle tower.Apr 23, 2009
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Site of Ichinomon Gate. 一の門跡Apr 23, 2009
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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.Apr 23, 2009
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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.Apr 23, 2009
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Cherry blossoms on the way to the castle tower.Apr 23, 2009
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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).Apr 23, 2009
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Steps up to the castle tower.Apr 23, 2009
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Cherries droop over a castle wall.Apr 23, 2009
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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).Apr 23, 2009
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Wakayama Castle is noted for various styles of castle wall. 野面積みApr 23, 2009
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Castle foundation wallApr 23, 2009
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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Apr 23, 2009
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Tree growing on castle wall.Apr 23, 2009
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The Ura-zaka sloping path to the castle tower is a mild climb up.Apr 23, 2009
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Castle tower overlooks Ninomaru.Apr 23, 2009
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A partial maze to make it harder for any attackers to enter the castle. 一中門跡Apr 23, 2009
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Entrance to Ura-zaka Nobori-guchi sloping path to the tenshukaku castle tower (donjon). 裏坂登り口Apr 23, 2009
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Path to Omotezaka entrance.Apr 23, 2009
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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 Wakayamajo-mae bus stop. The Ichinohashi Bridge at Otemon Gate is on the right.Apr 23, 2009
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Wakayama Castle is famous for cherry blossoms in early April. I visited when it was in full bloom. Apr 23, 2009
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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.Apr 23, 2009
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