 Most viewed - Wakamatsu (Tsurugajo) Castle 若松城・鶴ヶ城 |
Aizu-Wakamatsu (Tsuruga-jo) Castle, Fukushima Pref. The reconstructed castle tower (ferro-concrete) is based on the 5-story castle tower Kato Akinari built in 1639. "Wakamatsu" was named after a place in Hino, Shiga by Ujisato.756 views
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In 1591, Lord Gamo Ujisato (from Hino, Shiga) built a 7-story castle tower and renamed it Tsuruga-jo Castle. "Tsuru" means crane. A major earthquake in 1611 damaged the tower, so Lord Kato Akinari rebuilt the castle tower with 5 stories in 1639.688 views
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Stone marker for Tsurugajo Castle. Although the castle's official name is Wakamatsu Castle, it is popularly called Tsuruga-jo Castle within the city of Aizu-Wakamatsu. Outside Fukushima though, it is popularly called Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle.578 views
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Wakamatsu Castle, Fukushima. Totally modern on the inside (renovated in 2004), the castle tower is a history museum. It displays swords and portraits of the Byakkotai Battalion of teenagers who valiantly butneedlessly committed suicide on Iimoriyama Hill.516 views
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Family crests of all the warrior clans who occupied Wakamatsu Castle.504 views
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San-no-Maru entrance to Tsurugajo Castle 三の丸446 views
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440 views
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Tsuruga-jo Castle as seen from the rear.405 views
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Rokabashi Bridge 廊下橋393 views
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Castle tower as seen from Honmaru Uzumimon Gate. In the lower right is the ticket office to enter the castle tower. Castle tower admission is 400 yen for adults. Or pay 500 yen to include the ticket to see the Rinkaku Tea House. Open 8:30 am to 5 pm.370 views
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Otemon Gate stonework. The castle was occupied by a number of clans. But it was Gamo Ujisato, originally from Hino, Shiga Prefecture, who made the castle great and established the castle town of Aizu-Wakamatsu.365 views
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Wakamatsu Castle as seen from the rear.363 views
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Tsurugajo Inari Shrine358 views
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Taikomon Gate where there was a multi-story turret which had a taiko drum used to signal the coming of a lord or for emergencies. 太鼓門355 views
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Castle map. I recommend entering through the Kitaguchi entrance and exiting from the San-no-maru entrance or vice versa. Both entrances has a High-color bus stop nearby. The castle is too far to walk from Aizu-Wakamatsu Station, so take a bus.353 views
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Otemon Gate stonework with stairs, one unique feature of the castle. The castle was attacked by Imperial forces during the Boshin War in 1868. The castle was dismantled in 1874.351 views
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Kitade-maru 北出丸351 views
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Honmaru Uzumimon Gate and tenshukaku castle tower.350 views
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Honmaru as seen from the top of the castle tower.350 views
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Stone-dropping hole.348 views
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Inside Rinkaku Tea Ceremony House348 views
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Most next to Otemon Gate347 views
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Otemon Gate to Kitade-maru 大手門. The castle was first built by Ashina Naomori in 1384 when he built a structure called Higashi Kurokawa Yakata.346 views
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Tsubakizaka Slope which is lined with cherry trees. 椿坂345 views
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Rinkaku Tea Ceremony House. Shoan, the son of tea master Sen Rikyu (who was ordered to committ seppuku by Hideyoshi), came here to practice tea in the late 16th century under the auspices of Lord Gamo Ujisato who himself was a tea expert. 茶室麟閣344 views
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Entrance to Rinkaku Tea Ceremony House 茶室麟閣343 views
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Rokabashi Bridge 廊下橋341 views
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Foilage on the slopes of Honmaru340 views
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Castle tower stonework340 views
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Kurogane-mon Gate on the left, Hashiri-nagaya Longhouse, and castle tower.338 views
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Foilage on Kitade-maru 北出丸333 views
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Wakamatsu Castle tower, called tenshukaku. In 1590, Gamo Ujisato became the castle lord and he built a 7-story castle tower completed in 1593. He renamed the castle Tsuruga-jo and renamed the town from Kurokawa to Wakamatsu.332 views
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Stairs to go to the upper floor of the Hoshii Yagura turret.332 views
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An open window along the Minami Hashiri Nagaya Longhouse.331 views
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Tsubakizaka Slope which is a bridge to the castle tower. 椿坂330 views
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The castle tower was reconstructed as a ferroconcrete building in Sept. 1965 on its original site.330 views
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Monument on Kitade-maru 北出丸329 views
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Inside the Hashiri Nagaya corridor is a gift shop. This is connected directly to the castle tower and also connects to the reconstructed Hoshii Turret.. 走長屋329 views
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Inside the reconstructed Minami Hashiri Nagaya Longhouse. It is a long corridor with a few small storage rooms. 南走長屋329 views
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Castle tower as seen from the west side full of cherry trees. Tsuruga-jo Castle Park is one of Japan's 100 Best Cherry Blossom Spots.328 views
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Castle most and Rokabashi Bridge 廊下橋328 views
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Looking east. These are cherry trees below.328 views
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The gift shop also has a gallery of local crafts such as lacquerware.327 views
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The 5th and top floor of castle tower has a nice lookout deck all.326 views
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Right beyond the Taikomon Gate is a tourist info office, cafe, restrooms, and benches.325 views
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325 views
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After entering the Kurogane-mon Gate, you can see the Hoshii-yagura turret 干飯櫓 on the left which is connected to the castle tower via the Minami Hashiri-nagaya Longhouse 南走長屋. Both were reconstructed in April 2001.322 views
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Castle tower as seen from Honmaru Uzumimon Gate319 views
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Inside the Kurogane-mon Gate is a mini theater.318 views
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Tsurugajo Castle. The castle tower entrance can be seen.317 views
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Rokabashi Bridge 廊下橋317 views
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316 views
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The nagaya longhouse corridor leading to the reconstructed Hoshii Yagura turret.316 views
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These stairs on the castle's stone walls are called Musha-bashiri. They enabled the warriors to run up to the turrets quickly during attacks. It is one distinguishing feature of the castle. 武者走り315 views
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Tsuruga-jo Castle tower315 views
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"Wakamatsu" means young pine.314 views
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313 views
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Castle tower stonework with the characteristic stone steps.313 views
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Castle tower as seen from the west side in the Obikurawa 帯郭312 views
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A warrior dummy shows how stones can be dropped through the stone hole on the floor.312 views
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On the west side is this Kurogane-mon Gate with steel doors. This is another way into the the main Honmaru grounds. During the Boshin War, the castle lord directed his troops from here. 鉄門311 views
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Tourist info office below.311 views
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310 views
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Upper floor of the Hoshii Yagura turret. 干飯櫓310 views
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Foilage and stone gate309 views
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Upper floor of the Hoshii Yagura turret. It is used as an exhibition room. 干飯櫓309 views
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Stone sink to wash the mouths of horses. A horse riding ground was nearby. 馬洗石308 views
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308 views
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Kurogane-mon Gate on the left, connected to the castle tower on the right via the Hashiri-nagaya Longhouse which houses a gift shop 南走長屋.307 views
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Chatsubo Yagura turret (Tea Pot Turret). There was a two-story turret which stored tea ceremony implements and weapons. 茶壷櫓の跡307 views
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Rinkaku Tea Ceremony House. 茶室麟閣306 views
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Honmaru Uzumimon Gate which leads to the castle tower. There was a turret here on the stone foundation. 本丸埋門305 views
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Hashiri Nagaya Longhouse in the foreground, then the Kurogane-mon Gate, the reconstructed Minami Hashiri Nagaya Longhouse, and the reconstructed Hoshii Yagura turret at the far end. We can walk inside these structures as well.305 views
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Wakamatsu Castle has only these buildings standing. No other turrets, towers, or palace buildings remain.303 views
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Entrance to Tsuruga-jo Castle tower (tenshukaku).303 views
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Tsukimi Yagura turret (Moonviewing Turret) 月見櫓301 views
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Alps301 views
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301 views
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Taikomon Gate stonework299 views
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Tsuruga-jo Castle tower. It is lit up at night.299 views
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Lookout deck on castle tower. Great views all around.299 views
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Hashiri Nagaya Longhouse connects to the castle tower.298 views
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This is over the Kurogane-mon Gate.298 views
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Honmaru 本丸297 views
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Inside castle tower. This scene depicts a storage room for salt. Unfortunately, photography is not permitted inside the castle tower's museum area.297 views
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View from Chatsubo Yagura turret296 views
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Honmaru as seen from the top of the castle tower. 本丸296 views
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A warrior dummy shows how a hole in the wall is used.295 views
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It took about 3 years to reconstruct this Hoshii-yagura turret using traditional construction methods. It was the castle's largest turret mainly used to store food.. 干飯櫓293 views
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Wakamatsu Castle and pine trees.291 views
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Numerous pine trees are planted within the castle grounds. At night, the castle is lit up.290 views
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Inside the reconstructed Hoshii Yagura Turret on the lower floor.290 views
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A small room along the Minami Hashiri Nagaya Longhouse.289 views
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Pine tree and Tsuruga-jo Castle. 鶴ヶ城285 views
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The main Honmaru entrance285 views
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283 views
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Mt. Bandai is on the right.283 views
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Roof of nagaya longhouse.283 views
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Heads up view282 views
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Wakamatsu Castle as seen from Honmaru282 views
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Kojo no Tsukihi Poetry Monument dedicated to the poem "Kojo no Tsukihi" written by college student Tsuchii Bansui after he saw how the castle lay in ruins after the Boshin War. 荒城の月碑282 views
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Ridge of castle moat on the south side.281 views
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Stone foundation for Gosankai, a three-story building used as a secret meeting place. Before the castle was dismantled, this building was moved to Amida temple within the city.280 views
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Stone foundation of castle tower280 views
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279 views
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Rokabashi Bridge connects the Honmaru to the Ni-no-Maru. Originally, this bridge could be cut down in the event of an attack. 廊下橋278 views
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View of Wakamatsu Castle from Chatsubo Yagura turret276 views
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The castle tower was renovated on the inside in 2004.275 views
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Inside the reconstructed Minami Hashiri Nagaya Longhouse. Impressive reconstruction.275 views
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Shadow of castle tower.272 views
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The castle tower (donjon) stands over 36 meters high. Its stone wall is 11 meters high.271 views
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270 views
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Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle266 views
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Castle tower as seen from the west side in the Obikurawa 帯郭265 views
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261 views
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Top of Tsukimi Yagura turret (Moonviewing Turret). It was a two-story turret used to store weapons. It also offered a great view of the moon. 月見櫓259 views
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Looking toward Kitade-maru.256 views
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