Maruoka Castle
At the bottom of the hill there is a small history museum with displays related to the lords of Maruoka castle (admission included in castle ticket). Like both Inuyama and Matsumoto, Maruoka claims to have the oldest remaining keep in Japan. It is designated Important Cultural Property.
History
Maruoka-jo was Built by Shibata Katsutoyo, nephew of Shibata Katsuie, in 1576. The castle had 17 lords until the Meiji Restoration including Aoyama Shurinsuke, Honda Narishige, and Arima Kiyosumi. The keep was levelled by the Fukui earthquake of 1948, but the keep was rebuilt using 80% of the original materials in 1955. The keep has three stories with an original wood interior and stone-tile roof, and is located on a hill in the middle of a rather large plain. Both the size of the keep and interior are very similar to that of Inuyama castle.
Field Notes
At the bottom of the hill there is a small history museum with displays related to the lords of Maruoka castle (admission included in castle ticket). Like both Inuyama and Matsumoto, Maruoka claims to have the oldest remaining keep in Japan. It is designated Important Cultural Property.
Gallery
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Maruoka Castle |
| Japanese Name | 丸岡城 |
| Alternate Names | Kasumiga-jo |
| Founder | Shibata Katsutoyo |
| Year Founded | 1576 |
| Castle Type | Hilltop |
| Castle Condition | Original main keep |
| Designations | Top 100 Castles, has Important Cultural Properties |
| Historical Period | Edo Period |
| Main Keep Structure | 2 levels, 3 floors |
| Artifacts | main keep |
| Features | main keep, stone walls, walls |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Awara-onsen Sta. (Hokuriku Line), Keifuku bus to Hon-maruoka and get off at Shiro-iriguchi (20mins, buses hourly). Hourly buses (Keifuku) also run from Fukui station |
| Hours | |
| Time Required | |
| URL | Castle Website |
| Location | Sakai, Fukui Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 36.15236, 136.27211 |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2006 |
| Contributor | Eric |
| Admin Year Visited | 2006 |
| Admin Visits | June 13, 2006 |
