Takeda Castle

From Jcastle.info

Takeda31.jpg

History

Takeda Castle was built on this site in the path of aggression between Harima/Tanba and Tajima regions as a stronghold of Izushi Castle. It was built by Ohtagaki Mitsukage, a retainer of Yamana Sozen, lord of the area, in 1441. Ohtagaki, who had been a military commander of the Yamana clan for 5 generations became lord of the castle.

Takeda Castle was conquered by Hideyoshi in his Tajima campaign of 1577. Hideyoshi placed it in the control of his younger brother, Hidenaga, who moved to Izushi less than 2 years later. In 1585 Akamatsu Hirohide became the new lord of the castle and was charged with renovating it as a stronger castle to help control the Ikuno silver mines. The stone walls date from this period. Akamatsu Hirohide, the last lord of the castle, fought on the side of the Western Forces for Tokugawa at the battle of Sekigahara in the attack on Tottori Castle. Hirohide served valiantly in the battle, but was accused of setting the castle town on fire. Later that year he committed seppuku and Takeda Castle was abandoned.


Visit Notes

This is a truly impressive castle. Despite being only ruins; the location, stone walls, design, and view easily make it worth 4 stars. It is amazing how they built such extensive stone walls on top of the mountain. There are few trains running to Takeda and you'll want at least 90 minutes at the castle (depending on how much you take pictures) so plan accordingly. At the foot of the mountain are some temples with walls that look similar to castle walls. This temple and shrine complex was actually established as a defense for the castle. Across the valley there is also the Ritsuunkyo park with great views of the castle from afar. Refer to the Ritsuunkyo gallery below for more details.

Takeda Castle has suffered from over tourism and becoming too popular over the last 10 years. Too many visitors compacted the ground, wore away the topsoil and made it prone to erosion and weakening the stone walls. The site has been closed completely or in part at different times for repairs. It all started from a book of photographs and then an early Google maps TV commercial and a JR campaign that featured fantastic views of the castle "in the clouds". The first time I visited there were multiple hiking trails to the top and no one around. In fact, I was told by another veteran castle fan and longtime friend (Shirofan) to only visit in the late autumn and winter or it would be too weedy to see the stonework well! The second time, popularity had increased dramatically and they had closed all the trails but one and were limiting the number of people on the site at one time. In recent years, two of the original trails have been reopened but there are designated walking paths around the site. You are no longer free to roam the site as you please and the Hanayashiki Bailey is also now closed.

Takeda Castle also has the distinction of being the only castle where the town has asked me to remove some information (from my original first visit). They did not want people hunting down the now closed off trails to climb the mountain or to see the off limits areas with stonework!


Loading map...


Gallery
  • Kannonji Fort


More Galleries and Feature Pages

Takedaritsuunkyo9.jpg

Ritsuunkyo

(12 photos)

Castle Profile
English Name Takeda Castle
Japanese Name 竹田城
Alternate Names Torafushi-jo
Founder Ohtagaki Mitsukage
Year Founded 1441
Castle Type Mountaintop
Castle Condition Ruins only
Designations Top 100 Castles, Top 100 Mountaintop Castles, National Historic Site
Historical Period Pre Edo Period
Features trenches, stone walls
Visitor Information
Access Takeda Station (Bantan Line); 60 min walk or 15 min taxi (1500 yen)
Visitor Information Some areas currently blocked off for repairs.
Time Required 90 mins on site + 2hrs round trip to the station
Website https://www.city.asago.hyogo.jp/takeda/
Location Asago, Hyogo Prefecture
Coordinates 35° 18' 0.43" N, 134° 49' 45.44" E
Loading map...
Admin
Added to Jcastle 2005
Contributor Eric
Admin Year Visited 2009, 2013
Admin Visits Nov. 15, 2009; Sept 27, 2013
Friends of JCastle
Malcolm Fairman Photography - Takeda Castle
Shirofan - Takeda Castle
Shirobito - Takeda Castle
Kojodan - Takeda Castle
Ken's Castle Storage - Takeda Castle
Jokaku Horoki - Takeda Castle


4.42
(19 votes)
Add your comment
Jcastle.info welcomes all comments. If you do not want to be anonymous, register or log in. It is free.


avatar

ARTShogun

42 months ago
Score 0++
Went last month. Had the site to ourselves!!!

Permalink | Reply

avatar

DiegoDeManilaAshigaru

82 months ago
Score 1++

Visited 02 May 2017 as a day trip out of Ōsaka (via Himeji) - far but very easily done, and with time to spare. Takeda was all kinds of awesome: fantastic views, gorgeous ruins. I wouldn't normally rate a site with absolutely no surviving structures a 4/5, but this one practically beat, kicked, and wrested that rating out of me after I'd done the rounds. If your timing is right, catch the special Takeda-themed "Tenkū-no-shiro Takeda-jō-seki-gō" train service (which I ended up boarding unexpectedly on the return) - not really something to write home about but it does add something to the experience.

https://with...02-may-2017/

Permalink | Reply

avatar

FurinkazanDaimyo

89 months ago
Score 0++

I will not add how much this site is marvelous. Suffice to say that normally i give only 1 or 1.5 stars on sites like this one. But here i give 2.5 stars. Before leaving i took some lunch and a 2l water bottle in my backpack. It was very warm today. I took the Kinosaki ltd express from Kyôto to Wadayama(104min). On the way i remembered that it was possible to take photos of Fukuchiyamajô from the train. So this time i was prepared. From Wadayama it's a 7 min ride to Takeda. I went to the information office in the station. There i found a map and a pamphlet about the castle in english. They have even a brochure in french of Asago. The model there is, like stated below, interesting. You'll have an idea how the castle looked like with its buildings. The lady there was very friendly and she showed me the 100 meijô stamp. It is next to the entrance of the station. When leaving the station and turning right, a little bit further you'll find a bigger information building. They have a model of the ruin like it is now. There i bought a towel of the castle, which became very useful today. There are signs from that building to the different trails. I decided first to visit the temples and after the last one you'll see the sign to the trail to the castle. I went up. At the end of this trail you'll arrive at the entrance to the castle site. The fee is now 500¥. At this building they have a chart with the nationalities which came to the castle. I was apparently the first Belgian. My flag was not even present. I had to place a sticker next to the other Western countries. The visit is now more restrained. There is a string guiding you through the site. You are able to go to the tenshukakudai, but not to the Hanayashiki bailey. There are also sandbags covered with some black synthetic carpet on several places. After the castle i went to the Yamashiro no sato. I discovered that the parking lot and bus stop are at 900 meters from the entrance of the castle. From there it's 1.5km to the Yamashiro no sato. There you can eat and there is a shop. There is another information office. At this office you may put a haraate(front armor) in plastic(well done) a jinbaori, helmet and a sword to take pictures in front of the castle in the sky background. There are 2 backgrounds. From here i took the loop bus to get back at the city. I got off at machinaka bus stop. I walked to the Ritsuunkyo and went to the 3 viewpoints. The views are indeed very impressive. It took me more than 1 hour to get there. Since the descend was easier, it took me 50 min to get back at the station. The lady of the information office was amazed of my trip.

I went a different way to get back to Kyôto. I took the Hamakaze to Ôsaka(120min) and then the Thunderbird(27min).

Permalink | Reply

avatar

ARTShogun

90 months ago
Score 0++
Takeda Castle has the nickname “Japan’s Machu Picchu,” due to the spectacular appearance of its stone walls sitting atop of the mountain. I went on a bus tour here in 2013. I’d like to go back and explore more thoroughly, including hiking up to nearby mountains to get a panoramic view of the castle. Takedajō was first built in 1443 as a satellite castle of Izushijō. The first lord was Ōtagaki Mitsukage, a vassal of Yamana Sozen. Toyotomi Hidenaga conquered the castle in 1577 as part of Hideyoshi’s Tajima Campaign. Akamatsu Hirohide was put in charge in 1585 and he modernised the castle, constructing the magnificent stonewalls we see today. His main mandate was to protect nearby silver mines.

Permalink | Reply

avatar

OnnajoshuPeasant

91 months ago
Score 0++
Eric, I did not see anything to suggest the trail was not open, but actually took the bus that circles from Takeda Station to the parking lot near the top. My sense is that it is now open.

Permalink | Reply

avatar

Jcastle.oldHatamoto

91 months ago
Score 0++
Onnajoshu, very cool, I should try it during this season some time. I've been reluctant due to the crowds in recent years. Is the trail up the mountain open again? When I was there in 2013 it was off limits.

Permalink | Reply

avatar

OnnajoshuPeasant

92 months ago
Score 0++
I visited Takeda Jo in early March 2017 -- everything was open. I visited during a cold, breezy, snow shower and felt like I was at the top of the world -- just amazing! This is a 5 star! I took the bus that circles around the castle, but next time I think I will do the hike up. By the way, I had the whole mountain to myself -- guess there are not a lot of winter weather castle fans!

Permalink | Reply

avatar

ARTShogun

103 months ago
Score 0++

I visited in 2013.

If you'd have told me, Art, you'll see a castle site with no buildings just ishigaki and it'll be one of the best castle sites you've ever seen, i would have never believed you. In fact, i might have even got angry. But lo Takedajou was that castle, japan's Machu Picchu, as they call it. Can't recommend it enough. I saw two mukade fighting in mortal combat on the mountain. I reached out with my hand to touch them but my friend slowly shook her head at me so i desisted.

Permalink | Reply

avatar

Jcastle.oldHatamoto

126 months ago
Score 0++
Daniele, November is one of the best times to visit, but it may be crowded too. If you arrive around 12pm you should have plenty of time to walk up to the castle and enjoy it. It does take about 60 mins to walk there. All visitors should be aware that the castle walls are undergoing repairs and the areas you can enter are strictly limited. See the link below. The red part is a one way path that is fenced off. The blue areas are open to walk around but may be closed in rain or when the conditions are not good. http://www.c...0003733.html

Permalink | Reply

avatar

Anonymous user #1

126 months ago
Score 0++
I was looking forward to seeing this castle when I was on my castle trip in April the train was nice and easy to get there from Himeji I walked up the old walking track that was closed didn't know about the new one till I came down but I get to the top I was disappointed not with the ruins but with the sandbagged walk way and half the area blocked off, unable to go on top of the main keep. but the ruins are some of the best I seen nice stone work amazing views of the valleys and mountains.

Permalink | Reply

avatar

RaymondWDaimyo

139 months ago
Score 0++
For those planning on a visit to this great castle ruin, JR West, until the end of June, has one of its Tokyu Express Trains stop at JR Takeda Station once a day on Saturdays and Sundays from JR Osaka Station. On the advertisement that I saw, it said that you can catch the express train \Hamakaze"from Osaka Station at around 9:30am arriving at Takeda Station at around 11:45. Apparently there is also a bus from the station to take the visitor up to the castle ruin. There are two return express trains from Takeda Station in the arvo but I can't remember their times. Well it looks like Takeda Castle has been truly placed on the tourist map now"

Permalink | Reply

avatar

RonSAshigaru

140 months ago
Score 0++

I finally went up to see Takeda castle this past Friday and all the superlatives ever written about it are true. I’ve been visiting J castles for over 30 years and consider myself a bit jaded, but as we approached the otemon gate after hiking up the hill, I felt almost as excited as my first trip to Himeji Castle way back when. My only slight disappointments were the gray weather, although it gave the whole scene a kind of Scottish highlands effect, and the large number of other visitors who were there. Gone forever, it would seem, are the days when you could take pictures of a near empty castle like Eric did or a22cricket laments. While not quite swarming, visitors were everywhere and I never had to worry about having people in my photos to provide a perspective of size. In fact, several times I had to wait a while to get the long shot I wanted without including people in the foreground.

Takeda Castle’s “discovery” a few years ago by the mass media as “the castle in the air (天空の城) that can float above the clouds and it’s designation as the “Machu Picchu of Japan” has turned it into a major tourist attraction that is bringing significant, but positive, I think, changes to the castle and it’s little town. The biggest change will be an admission charge of 300 yen per person from October this year. It will cost 1,000 yen to park your car in the castle’s parking area. It’s felt that this is needed to help pay for the wear and tear that so many visitors is causing to the castle grounds.

Another change is the development of other attractions and services for tourists in the town itself. If you walk straight out from the station to the main street that runs parallel to the railway, look to your left and several doors down on the right side of the street you will see the Attaka Plaza (あったかプラザ), a small, no frills café-restaurant that also has some coin lockers (I assume this is the same place mentioned by a22cricket). In the opposite direction, there is now a very cozy looking B&B in a restored machiya a few doors down on the right side of the street that also has a café. Past that on the left side there is a very nice looking Japanese style café in another restored machiya (Sorry! I didn’t get the names!). If you want to buy a bottle of water, continue along this street another 100 meters or so and you will find a tiny dark general store (The Showa period version of a convenience store) on the left side. Just across the street from this store and a bit to the left is a former sake brewery that is now being restored as a museum and tourist attraction. It is scheduled to open in the fall and I think it will contribute to a revival of this street as other visitor related businesses spring up between it and the station.

The castle itself has gotten an “improvement” as well. The ladder to the top of the tenshu foundation, that you can see in Eric’s photo, has been replaced by a sturdy wooden staircase. I saw at least one daring young couple sitting with their legs dangling off the edge of one of the higher walls, and there were quite a few young children running around, so I fear that some kind of railing, fence or shrub barrier is also in Takeda Castle’s near future.

If possible, avoid visiting Takeda Castle during weekends or holidays. I’ve heard that over the past 2 years or so it has become mobbed with visitors and long traffic jams crawl into the town and up to the official parking lot. I imagine that the hourly trains must get pretty crowded as well.

Ah! One more thing – I didn’t see or notice any English signs or information anywhere, but I’m sure they will start to appear sooner than later.

Permalink | Reply

avatar

Jcastle.oldHatamoto

145 months ago
Score 0++
Especially this time of year mountaintop castles are great. Thanks for the information about the city. It has been corrected. It looks like Wadayama and a couple nearby towns merged to create Asago-shi a couple years ago. Looking at the site, I'm amazed at how much information they have about the castle on the city website now that was not there before.

Permalink | Reply

avatar

PhibbyfanAshigaru

145 months ago
Score 0++
After going to this castle and Bitchu Matsuyama Castle, I realize that I really enjoy Japan's mountain castles! I'm surprised it's not one of the official \top 3 mountain castles. Btw the city is not Wadayama it's Asago.

Permalink | Reply

avatar

BryanbaierPeasant

154 months ago
Score 0++
This is my favorite of all castles. The location and the condition are spectacular. Go, have a picnic, and enjoy the Machu Pichu of Japan

Permalink | Reply

avatar

Frank T.Gunshi

156 months ago
Score 0++
Generally speaking, ruins don't excite me in the least, and I will not stop to check them out when driving past. Takeda, though, is surely in a class by itself when it comes to ruins. Someone here has compared them to Machu Picchu, and the comparison is apt. The ruins are not only extensive, but they are also well cleared of overgrowth and offer spectacular views of the valley below. Pack a lunch and have a picnic!

Permalink | Reply

avatar

Jcastle.oldHatamoto

157 months ago
Score 0++
It's the name of the area Tanba Takeda 丹波竹田, but I don't know why it's called that. Anyway I doubt there's any relation to Shingen which is a completely different Takeda 武田 characters.

Permalink | Reply

avatar

Anonymous user #1

159 months ago
Score 0++
I visited on 24th August 2011. This place is brilliant – in my opinion, a must see for all castle enthusiasts. Stunning is an understatement. One can get there from Kyoto, perhaps after having been disappointed by Fukuchiyama (nice façade but that’s about it), or Himeji. The path to the top starts directly behind the station. It’s a steep 40 minutes haul, but worth every second. Keep an eye on the time as the trains are not that frequent.

Permalink | Reply

avatar

A22cricketAshigaru

163 months ago
Score 0++
Amazing! A lady at the nearby tourist information center described it as \Japan's Machu Pichu"and she was right. Standing on the top and seeing the layered walls leading to the steep drops and the views beyond is definitely worth the long trip from Himeji. Takes about 90 minutes by train. Bring a snack because I had a hard time finding a restaurant in town."""

Permalink | Reply

avatar

A22cricketAshigaru

163 months ago
Score 0++
Went to Takeda on 5/15/2011 and was amazed at the way the site is organized and maintained. The few signs and plaques, all in Japanese, are wooden so they blend in well with the surroundings. The few additions to the peak are benches and trees which only adds to the scenery instead of detracting from it like big, plastic signs and maps would. I spent about two hours at the top wandering and taking pictures. It was also one of the few times I wanted people in the pictures so that i could have a perspective of size. The maps from the train station/information center were very useful. All in Japanese though. I took the train from Himeji and many of the stops along the route have sites as well, such as a mine and an onsen. Check the train map in the trains and you can see what's at each station. The Takeda station staff was really friendly and helpful. Biggest problem I had was finding something to eat. If you go to the main street outside the train station and look left, you'll likely see a flashing light marking the only restaurant I could find. Strongly recommended site, especially while Himeji is under construction.

Permalink | Reply

avatar

RaymondWDaimyo

164 months ago
Score 0++
This castle is by far the most impressive castle ruin site that I have been to in Japan. The views from the top are spectacular and with the ishigaki layered in steps a la Machu Picchu-style, this mountaintop castle is definitely worth the long trip to remote northern Hyogo Prefecture. I took a series of JR trains, taking over 3.5 hours one-way to get there. There is a little tourist info office hidden in the JR Takeda Station. Drop in and see the model of the castle. It will give you a better appreciation of the castle layout when you get to the top. If you are in reasonable shape, it will take you less than 30 minutes to get to the top from the station. When you exit the station, go left, walk about 50 metres, go under the train tracks along something that looks like a drainage ditch under the train lines, turn left at the end, walk about 50 metres, and you will easily see the sign for the trailhead up to the castle. From there, the sign says that it is only 800m to the castle. If you are collecting the 100 Meijo Stamp for Takeda Castle, you can get it in the station. Also, there are some pretty good maps you can pick up at the tourist info office for free. According to the rating scale on this website, this site should probably only get two stars because it is a ruin without any reconstructions or original structures left. However, the view from the top, and the fact that the local government has cleared the area surrounding the castle site of vegetation has made this a great castle ruin to visit earning it four-stars for the views, location, and ishigaki.

Permalink | Reply



Retrieved from "http://jcastle.info/smw2021/index.php?title=Takeda_Castle&oldid=53702"
Monitored by WikiApiary
Powered by Semantic MediaWiki