- Type
- Castle
- Built
- 1604 · 17th century
- Site origins
- 1441 per Wikidata – an earlier stronghold or first mention
- Location
- Okayama Prefecture, Japan
- Coordinates
- 35.0628°, 134.0050°
History
Tradition says the first stronghold on Tsuruyama hill was built in 1441 by Yamana Tadamasa. In 1603 Mori Tadamasa was granted Mimasaka province, and a year later he began a new castle, completed in 1616. With a five-storey keep and dozens of turrets, it was among the largest fortresses in western Japan. When the Mori line died out in 1697 the domain passed to the Matsudaira, who ruled it until the Meiji Restoration. In 1874–1875 all the buildings were demolished, and in 2005, for the castle's 400th anniversary, the Bitchū turret was rebuilt.
What to see
Tier upon tier of massive stone walls climb the hill, rising at the highest point to several tens of metres above its foot. The base of the main keep survives on the summit, and beside it stands the rebuilt Bitchū turret with residence-style interiors. The castle grounds form Kakuzan Park, in spring one of Japan's most celebrated places to view the cherry blossom.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q767818
Popularity: articles about this site in 13 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).