Kakegawa Castle

Kakegawa Castle was long known as a famous castle in the Tokai region, but the castle tower collapsed in a major earthquake in 1854. In order to regain this symbol of Kakegawa, donations were collected from citizens and local companies in 1994, and a wooden castle tower was rebuilt at a cost of about 1 billion yen. This wooden reconstruction is very rare, and the famous castle tower created by Yamamoto Tsunetoyo, imitating the Jurakudai Palace in Kyoto and the Osaka Castle Tower, has been beautifully restored to modern times.

Ninomaru Tea Room is a traditional tea room built in the sukiya-zukuri style, and anyone can easily host a tea party there. While the garden can be visited for free, by paying 510 yen for adults and 250 yen for elementary and junior high school students, you can also enjoy hospitality with locally produced Kakegawa tea (with sweets). There is also an experience course where you can actually make tea, so if you're interested, please refer to the official website!

At Kakegawa Castle, there is a legend of the Kirifuri Well. Kakegawa Castle was once the residence of Asahina, a senior vassal of the Imagawa clan. When the clan was in decline and faced a fierce attack from Tokugawa Ieyasu, the lord of the clan at the time, Ujimasa, fled to Kakegawa Castle. When Ieyasu began his siege, a thick fog rose from the well and covered Kakegawa Castle, causing Ieyasu to ease his attack. Since then, Kakegawa Castle has been called "Unkai Castle" and the well where the fog is said to have risen is still present beside the castle tower, known as the Kirifuri Well.

Around Kakegawa Castle, about 150 Somei Yoshino and Kakegawa Sakura trees are planted, and in the spring when they are in full bloom, many cherry blossom viewers gather to enjoy the collaboration between Kakegawa Castle and the cherry blossoms. Kakegawa Castle's cherry blossoms are also known for being able to be enjoyed from early March, and compared to other famous spots, you can enjoy cherry blossom viewing for a relatively long period of time. The spot where you can capture the combination of the tower of a famous castle in the Tokai region and weeping cherry blossoms in a frame is particularly popular.

Goshuin is something you can receive at shrines and temples, but recently, the castle stamp that you can receive at castles has become very popular. Kakegawa Castle is particularly known for having a large number of castle stamps, and special designs are sold, such as those depicting the Chinese zodiac for the year or commemorating the shogi king title match. Limited edition items will be discontinued once sold out, so if you're interested, be sure to get them early!