 Most viewed - WAKAYAMA 和歌山県 |
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.722 views
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Plum blossoms429 views
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An awesome sight in Minabe, Wakayama.376 views
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Map of Wakayama Castle.313 views
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Wakayama Castle as seen from Inui Turret. 294 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).288 views
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Cherry blossoms and Wakayama Castle tower.288 views
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Wakayama Castle271 views
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Nachi Falls 那智大滝247 views
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247 views
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Minabe boasts Japan's largest plum tree groves. The trees cover the mountain slopes and a sweet aroma prevails. JR Minabe Station223 views
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Sakura along the east moat.217 views
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Entrance to Minabe Plum Grove. The best time is around mid-Feb. 南部梅林213 views
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Near Tanabe208 views
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Katsuura 勝浦205 views
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Slopes covered with plum trees.196 views
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Plum blossoms194 views
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Kumano Hongu Shrine188 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 1983.188 views
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Path to Omotezaka entrance.185 views
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183 views
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Wakayama Castle is famous for cherry blossoms in early April. I visited when it was in full bloom. 180 views
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178 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. 1958.176 views
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A partial maze to make it harder for any attackers to enter the castle. 一中門跡167 views
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Sakura near Okaguchi-mon Gate.165 views
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165 views
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164 views
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The Ura-zaka sloping path to the castle tower is a mild climb up.164 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).164 views
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163 views
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Almost to the castle tower.163 views
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Wakayama Castle in April.162 views
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舟見峠160 views
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Wakayama Castle is noted for various styles of castle wall. 野面積み160 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160 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160 views
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160 views
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Castle tower overlooks Ninomaru.159 views
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Samurai armor, etc., are displayed.159 views
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157 views
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Entrance to Ura-zaka Nobori-guchi sloping path to the tenshukaku castle tower (donjon). 裏坂登り口157 views
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Hagi156 views
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Oimawashimon Gate. Renovated in 1985. 追廻門156 views
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Tree growing on castle wall.155 views
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The 50-year-old castle tower is in need of a paint job.155 views
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The castle tower is in need of a paint job.155 views
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Model of Wakayama Castle155 views
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View of Wakayama castle tower from Inui Turret.155 views
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Entrance to Ohashiroka Bridge which was completed in April 2006. Free admission.155 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 1959.155 views
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Steps tp Kusunoki-mon Gate.154 views
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Inui Turret 乾櫓154 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154 views
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Castle foundation wall153 views
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Wakayama Castle tower is now a modern museum with three stories.153 views
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Castle tower entrance roof has a Chinese cusped gable (karahafu). 唐破風153 views
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Pistol153 views
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Inside Wakayama Castle tower, a museum.153 views
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Inui Turret153 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152 views
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Steps up to the castle tower.152 views
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Wakayama Castle tower (donjon) and cherry blossoms.152 views
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Wakayama Castle tower (donjon).152 views
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Stairs to Inui Turret. 152 views
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Inside Inui Turret 乾櫓152 views
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View from inside Ohashiroka Bridge, looking toward the North Moat.152 views
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Chikatsuyu151 views
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Site of Ichinomon Gate. 一の門跡151 views
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Finally we see the main castle tower amid cherry blossoms.151 views
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Top floor of Wakayama Castle tower with a nice balcony for fine views of Wakayama.151 views
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Tree growing on castle stone foundation.151 views
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Okaguchi-mon Gate, seen from the outside. In 1960, it was disassembled and repaired.151 views
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Cherries droop over a castle wall.150 views
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Kusunoki-mon 楠門150 views
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Castle tower stone foundation wall.150 views
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150 views
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On the lookout deck of Wakayama Castle, looking toward Kusunoki Gate and Ninomon Turret.150 views
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Markings can be found on the stones.150 views
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Entrance to Nishinomaru Teien Garden. Also called Momijidani Teien Garden.150 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.149 views
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Entrance to the castle tower complex is via this gate called Kusunoki-mon. 楠門149 views
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Ohashiroka Bridge entrance on the other end.149 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).148 views
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Looking toward Inui Turret148 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148 views
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View from inside Ohashiroka Bridge, looking toward the castle tower.148 views
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Cherry blossoms on the way to the castle tower.147 views
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Portrait of Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune who was from Wakayama.147 views
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Lookimg toward Omotemon Gate.147 views
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Corridor leading to Inui Turret.147 views
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Stairs to Ninomon Turret.147 views
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Corridor to Ninomon Turret. The corridor is connected to the main castle tower (donjon).147 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).147 views
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Path to Okaguchi-mon Gate, the castle's back entrance built by Tokugawa Yorinobu.147 views
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Castle tower exit146 views
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146 views
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146 views
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Inside the Engyokaku pavilion (no entry).146 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146 views
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Panoramic view of cherry blossoms and Okaguchi-mon Gate.146 views
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Cherry blossoms as seen from Okaguchi-mon Gate.146 views
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Stone foundation wall of the castle tower.145 views
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Kusunoki-mon (back side) 楠門145 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).145 views
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Wakayama Castle145 views
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From the North Moat, we see the Ohashiroka Bridge which was completed in April 2006.145 views
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145 views
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Ninomaru145 views
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Nishinomaru Teien Garden 145 views
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144 views
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The final corridor leads to the exit.144 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.)144 views
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143 views
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From the lookout deck of Wakayama Castle, you can see the connected corridors leading to the two turrets.142 views
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North Moat 北堀142 views
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小雲取越141 views小雲取越
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Looking toward Inui Turret141 views
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Wakayama's industrial complex in the distance.141 views
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141 views
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Wakayama Castle marker outside Okaguchi-mon Gate.141 views
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Inui Turret and cherry blossoms. 乾櫓140 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140 views
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Nishinomaru Teien Garden pond. The garden is a National Scenic Place.140 views
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Okaguchi-mon Gate and cherry blossoms. This part of the castle has the heaviest concentration of sakura.140 views
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Wakayama Castle tower and Kusunoki-mon Gate.139 views
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Wakayama Castle as seen from inside the tower complex.139 views
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Basement steps139 views
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139 views
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Omote-zaka steps to the castle tower.138 views
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