SilkCode LibraryCastles of Japan
No. 066ChugokuShimane

Tsuwano Castle

津和野城

Ruins & historic sites

High stone walls spread across Mount Reiki above the town of Tsuwano. The site reveals how a medieval mountain stronghold was transformed into a stone-built castle in the early modern era.

Stone walls remaining on the hilltop at Tsuwano Castle
Stone walls remaining on the hilltop at Tsuwano CastlePhoto: by Reggaeman · 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
Mountain castle
Origins
Construction traditionally began in 1295; rebuilt as an early modern castle after 1601
Builders & patrons
Yoshimi family, Sakazaki Naomori and Kamei family
Other names
Sanbonmatsu Castle
What remains today
Hilltop stone walls, enclosures and ridge ditches; no surviving keep

THE STORY

The story behind the walls

Yoshimi Yoriyuki is recorded as beginning the castle in 1295, with completion under his son Yorinao in 1324. Sakazaki Naomori, who became lord in 1601, rebuilt the medieval stronghold as an early modern stone castle. Kamei Masanori arrived in 1617, and his family governed until the Meiji era. Lightning destroyed the three-tiered keep in 1686, and it was never rebuilt. The open enclosures and surviving stonework now preserve the legacy of those successive alterations.

LAYOUT & ARCHITECTURE

Read the landscape and the buildings.

The castle occupies 362-metre Mount Reiki, with a main compound and a separate northern outer enclosure. Its principal terraces follow the mountain’s projecting ridges and are supported by tall stone walls. The town below and the surrounding river help explain both the defensive and administrative value of the site.

A CLOSER LOOK

Details worth a closer look.

01

Stone walls above the town

Tall stone walls support the enclosures around the main compound. Although the keep is gone, the scale of the walls conveys the extent of the buildings that once occupied the summit.

02

The separate outer enclosure

An outer enclosure north of the main compound is also known as Oribemaru. Comparing it with the central defences shows how Sakazaki’s rebuilding distributed the strongpoints across the mountain.

03

The town and its river setting

The hilltop makes the relationship between the castle, river and town easier to understand. Beyond the townscape, look at how the river winds around the castle mountain.

THROUGH THE YEARS

A short timeline

  1. 1295

    Yoshimi Yoriyuki is said to have begun construction.

  2. 1601

    Sakazaki Naomori became lord and developed the early modern castle.

  3. 1686

    Lightning destroyed the keep, which was never rebuilt.

BEFORE YOU GO

A note before you go.

Even when using the sightseeing lift, exploring the hilltop requires walking. Lift closures, weather suspensions and trail restrictions are announced separately, so check the information for your chosen route.

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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