SilkCode LibraryCastles of Japan
No. 025Kanto & KoshinetsuYamanashi

Kofu Castle

甲府城

Ruins & historic sites

Early-modern masonry rises above central Kofu in Maizuru Castle Park. Its terraces tell a story distinct from the earlier Takeda residence elsewhere in the city.

A turret and stone walls at Kofu Castle
A turret and stone walls at Kofu CastlePhoto: Asougi · Public domain · Resized and converted to WebP. Cards crop the display.This photograph shows the site at the time it was taken. Check the notes and official sources for current restoration work and access.

Get to know the castle

Castle at a glance

Site & layout
Early-modern castle ruins with substantial masonry
Origins
Thought to date from the late sixteenth century under Toyotomi-aligned lords
Builders & patrons
Kato Mitsuyasu, Asano Nagamasa and Yukinaga
Other names
Kai Fuchu Castle; Ichijo Koyama Castle
What remains today
Masonry and enclosures; reconstructed Inari Turret and Kurogane Gate

THE STORY

The story behind the walls

After the Takeda fell, Kai passed through Oda, Tokugawa and Toyotomi-aligned rule. The castle is thought to have developed under the Kato and Asano in the late sixteenth century, supported by excavated tiles. It later served Tokugawa and Yanagisawa rulers and periods of direct shogunal administration. Railway and urban development reduced its area, while conservation preserved the surviving core.

LAYOUT & ARCHITECTURE

Read the landscape and the buildings.

Masonry separates the main, keep and other enclosures on the hill. Gates and turrets marked boundaries and edges. Today’s park covers only part of the old castle; historic plans help explain its former relationship with the town.

A CLOSER LOOK

Details worth a closer look.

01

Early masonry

Substantial early masonry survives despite urban development. Comparing terraces and wall faces reveals how the hill was shaped into enclosures.

02

Inari Turret

Inari Turret was reconstructed as part of the site’s conservation. It helps explain the position and appearance of a building otherwise represented only by foundations.

03

Kurogane Gate and enclosure boundaries

Kurogane Gate reconstructs a turret gate between the main and keep enclosures. It makes their former boundary easier to understand.

THROUGH THE YEARS

A short timeline

  1. Late 1500s

    Construction developed under Toyotomi-aligned lords.

  2. 1704

    The Yanagisawa became lords of Kofu.

  3. 1724

    Kofu returned to direct shogunal administration.

  4. 2019

    The site received national historic designation.

BEFORE YOU GO

A note before you go.

Interior openings of reconstructed buildings differ from park access. Check Yamanashi Prefecture’s current information for opening days, works and permitted areas.

Official visitor information ↗Find it on a map ↗

Information checked: 27 September 2026

Sources & official information

Some official sources are available in Japanese only.

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