Most viewed - Wakayama Castle 和歌山城 |
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.474 views
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Map of Wakayama Castle.280 views
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Wakayama Castle as seen from Inui Turret. 245 views
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Cherry blossoms and Wakayama Castle tower.234 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).231 views
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Wakayama Castle219 views
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212 views
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Sakura along the east moat.188 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 1983.161 views
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Wakayama Castle is famous for cherry blossoms in early April. I visited when it was in full bloom. 151 views
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Path to Omotezaka entrance.151 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. 1958.145 views
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A partial maze to make it harder for any attackers to enter the castle. 一中門跡140 views
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Sakura near Okaguchi-mon Gate.136 views
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The Ura-zaka sloping path to the castle tower is a mild climb up.134 views
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Almost to the castle tower.133 views
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133 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).132 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132 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 1959.130 views
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Wakayama Castle is noted for various styles of castle wall. 野面積み129 views
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Entrance to Ura-zaka Nobori-guchi sloping path to the tenshukaku castle tower (donjon). 裏坂登り口128 views
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Castle tower overlooks Ninomaru.128 views
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128 views
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128 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127 views
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Castle foundation wall127 views
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Wakayama Castle in April.127 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127 views
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Castle tower entrance roof has a Chinese cusped gable (karahafu). 唐破風127 views
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Model of Wakayama Castle127 views
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The 50-year-old castle tower is in need of a paint job.126 views
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Samurai armor, etc., are displayed.126 views
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Steps up to the castle tower.125 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.125 views
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Oimawashimon Gate. Renovated in 1985. 追廻門125 views
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Tree growing on castle wall.123 views
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Steps tp Kusunoki-mon Gate.123 views
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Pistol123 views
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Inside Wakayama Castle tower, a museum.123 views
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View of Wakayama castle tower from Inui Turret.123 views
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Wakayama Castle tower is now a modern museum with three stories.122 views
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Entrance to the castle tower complex is via this gate called Kusunoki-mon. 楠門122 views
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Wakayama Castle tower (donjon) and cherry blossoms.122 views
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The castle tower is in need of a paint job.122 views
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Wakayama Castle tower (donjon).122 views
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On the lookout deck of Wakayama Castle, looking toward Kusunoki Gate and Ninomon Turret.122 views
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Site of Ichinomon Gate. 一の門跡121 views
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Stairs to Inui Turret. 121 views
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Inside Inui Turret 乾櫓121 views
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Path to Okaguchi-mon Gate, the castle's back entrance built by Tokugawa Yorinobu.121 views
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Cherry blossoms on the way to the castle tower.120 views
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Finally we see the main castle tower amid cherry blossoms.120 views
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Kusunoki-mon 楠門120 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120 views
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Corridor leading to Inui Turret.120 views
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Inui Turret120 views
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Entrance to Ohashiroka Bridge which was completed in April 2006. Free admission.120 views
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Okaguchi-mon Gate, seen from the outside. In 1960, it was disassembled and repaired.120 views
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Cherry blossoms as seen from Okaguchi-mon Gate.120 views
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Castle tower stone foundation wall.119 views
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119 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119 views
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Tree growing on castle stone foundation.119 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).118 views
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Looking toward Inui Turret118 views
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Corridor to Ninomon Turret. The corridor is connected to the main castle tower (donjon).118 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.)118 views
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View from inside Ohashiroka Bridge, looking toward the castle tower.118 views
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Panoramic view of cherry blossoms and Okaguchi-mon Gate.118 views
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117 views
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Inui Turret 乾櫓117 views
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Top floor of Wakayama Castle tower with a nice balcony for fine views of Wakayama.117 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).117 views
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Portrait of Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune who was from Wakayama.117 views
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Wakayama Castle117 views
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Markings can be found on the stones.117 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117 views
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Cherries droop over a castle wall.116 views
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From the lookout deck of Wakayama Castle, you can see the connected corridors leading to the two turrets.116 views
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116 views
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Stairs to Ninomon Turret.116 views
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Basement steps116 views
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Ninomaru116 views
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Entrance to Nishinomaru Teien Garden. Also called Momijidani Teien Garden.116 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).116 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116 views
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Stone foundation wall of the castle tower.115 views
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Castle tower exit115 views
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Lookimg toward Omotemon Gate.115 views
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View from inside Ohashiroka Bridge, looking toward the North Moat.115 views
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From the North Moat, we see the Ohashiroka Bridge which was completed in April 2006.115 views
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Inside the Engyokaku pavilion (no entry).115 views
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Kusunoki-mon (back side) 楠門114 views
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The final corridor leads to the exit.114 views
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114 views
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114 views
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Wakayama Castle marker outside Okaguchi-mon Gate.114 views
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North Moat 北堀113 views
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Nishinomaru Teien Garden 113 views
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Nishinomaru Teien Garden pond. The garden is a National Scenic Place.113 views
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Wakayama Castle tower and Kusunoki-mon Gate.112 views
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Looking toward Inui Turret112 views
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112 views
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112 views
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112 views
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Wakayama Castle as seen from inside the tower complex.111 views
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Wakayama's industrial complex in the distance.111 views
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111 views
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Ohashiroka Bridge entrance on the other end.111 views
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Inui Turret and cherry blossoms. 乾櫓110 views
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Omote-zaka steps to the castle tower.110 views
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Okaguchi-mon Gate and cherry blossoms. This part of the castle has the heaviest concentration of sakura.109 views
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