Breathtaking！Surrounded by 1,000 cherry blossom trees, Tsuyama Castle in Japan turns pink

Text and photos byKavanagh

Tsuyama Castle, alongside Himeji Castle and Matsuyama Castle, is one of Japan’s Three Great Flatland Mountain Castles. Being ranked among these renowned castles shows that Tsuyama Castle is no pushover.

The original site of Tsuyama Castle was once “Tsuruyama Castle,” built by the Yamana clan. After the Battle of Sekigahara, Mori Tadamasa took over the area. He constructed a new castle on the ruins of Tsuruyama Castle and named it “Tsuyama Castle.” Thus, the “Tsuyama Domain” of the Edo period was born. This Tsuyama Castle, built by Mori Tadamasa over 13 years, comprised 80 structures including the tenshu and yagura, featuring an astonishing 77 yagura—more than both Hiroshima Castle and Himeji Castle. After the Yamana clan was removed from power in 1697, the Tsuyama Domain came under the governance of the Tokugawa shogunate’s direct vassal, the Matsudaira clan of Echizen. For the next 175 years until the end of the Edo period, the Matsudaira clan served as lords of the domain.

Over 1,000 cherry blossom trees are planted throughout Tsuyama Castle, making it one of Japan’s Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots. The day before my visit in 2013, the Kansai region was hit by the “Spring Storm,” known as the “cherry blossom killer,” which knocked down many blossoms. But on the day I arrived, I still witnessed an explosion of blooms that painted the entire Tsuyama Castle area pink—an astonishingly beautiful sight that left me speechless.

The northeastern part of Okayama Prefecture was historically known as Mimasaka Province and is the birthplace of Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of the manga “Naruto.”

Entrance to Tsuyama Castle (Tsuruyama Park).

Statue of Mori Tadamasa, the founder of Tsuyama Castle.

Following the Meiji Restoration and the issuance of the Castle Abolition Edict, all structures within the castle, including the tenshu, were demolished. However, the majestic stone walls were preserved intact.

The stone walls of Tsuyama Castle form a “full enclosure stone wall” that completely covers the mountain. From the foothills to the honmaru (main bailey) at the mountaintop, Tsuyama Castle features three tiers of walls with a total height of 50 meters, known as the “1-2-3 Tier Walls,” which are grand and spectacular. This method and structure of stone wall construction is reminiscent of another castle famous for its high walls—Marugame Castle.

In 2002, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Tsuyama Castle’s founding, the “Bitchū Yagura” in the ninomaru (second bailey) was reconstructed using wood. The rebuilt Bitchū Yagura has become a new landmark of Tsuyama Castle, frequently appearing in its posters and photos.

The ninomaru area of Tsuyama Castle.

The ninomaru “Bitchū Yagura” reconstructed in wood in 2002.

The Japan’s Top 100 Castles stamp for Tsuyama Castle is located inside the Bitchū Yagura.

Interior of the Bitchū Yagura.

The honmaru of Tsuyama Castle.

Within the honmaru, there is also an imposing tenshu platform. The original tenshu of Tsuyama Castle was a four-story, five-level tower-style keep (it is said that the tenshu of “Kokura Castle” in Kyushu was modeled after Tsuyama Castle’s tenshu). The so-called four-story, five-level structure refers to four eaves and five floors. During the Edo period, the shogunate did not allow regional lords to build keeps exceeding four stories.

When the shogunate learned that Mori Tadamasa had built a five-level tenshu, he faced questioning. Fearing punishment, Mori Tadamasa insisted that he had built only a “four-level” tenshu and ordered his retainer, Ban Yoritomo, to quickly return to their domain (at the time, Mori Tadamasa was in Edo—today’s Tokyo—and his domain was in what is now northern Okayama Prefecture) to dismantle the fourth level.

Those with a basic understanding of Japanese geography know that “Tokyo” and “Okayama,” where Tsuyama Castle is located, are very far apart. In ancient times, without airplanes or bullet trains, returning quickly to one’s domain was extremely difficult. But Ban Yoritomo managed it. It’s said he used some kind of magical technique to return swiftly (the northeastern part of Okayama Prefecture was historically known as Mimasaka Province, the birthplace of “Naruto” author Masashi Kishimoto—maybe Ban Yoritomo learned his magic from Naruto...), and he successfully dismantled the fourth level of the tenshu before the shogunate’s envoy arrived at Tsuyama Castle, helping his lord, Mori Tadamasa, get away with the deception.

The top of the tenshu platform offers excellent views.

After the Meiji Restoration and the Castle Abolition Edict, Tsuyama Castle’s tenshu was also demolished. In 1936, to celebrate the full operation of the JR “Hisei Line,” a mock tenshu was built on the site of the original tenshu platform. However, this mock tenshu was later demolished during World War II out of fear it would become a target for Allied bombings.

View of the Bitchū Yagura from the tenshu platform.

The other side of the tenshu platform.

The ninomaru.

Tsuyama Castle
Visiting Hours: Free access within the grounds.
Admission: Free.

Bitchū Yagura
Visiting hours: 08:40–19:00 (closes at 17:00 from October to March), 07:30–22:00 during cherry blossom season (April 1–15)
Closed: December 29–31
Admission: Free.
Transportation: 20-minute walk from JR “Tsuwano” Station.

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