I hope they rebuild this castle and complete the entire complex (And include a cable car to transport us older seniors up in comfort and I might think about coming to see it). This is my favorite Castle by far, even without the main buildings being there. Hopefully, I can enjoy the “sea of clouds” and witness the true “Castle in the Sky” then. I rarely visit a sight twice, but Takeda Castle certainly goes on my “to-revisit-list”. Maybe calling it the “ Machu Picchu of Japan” is an exaggeration, but it is absolutely worth a visit! The stone on the right photo says: Takeda Castle Ruins, Hyogo Prefecture. It was quiet and I could enjoy the great atmosphere and wonderful view! I remember sitting on this bench, instagramming. However, shortly before dusk the colors became really beautiful. The weather was cloudy and I didn’t like the colors on the photos very much.
#A CASTLE IN THE SKY FREE#
When I visited in April 2013, it was still free of charge. Headlines like “ Swarm of tourists linked to possible collapse of Takeda Castle Ruins” pop up.Īnd because of that they’ve now decided to ask for a small entrance fee of 300 yen. Takeda Castle recently became very popular after being mentioned in the media a lot. A very impressive sight!Īs you can see there aren’t many people in my photos, but please don’t be fooled.
#A CASTLE IN THE SKY FULL#
While the cherry blossoms were in full bloom in the valley, they weren’t out yet up there. This timber peg shows us where the castle tower (honmaru) used to be.
I can tell you that this is by far my favorite castle ruin! I’ve been to over 100 Japanese castles, also to a lot of ruins. The castle ground is spacious and offers almost a 360° view.Īlthough there is no castle building or tower left, Takeda Castle Ruins are truly impressive. From up there you’ll have a beautiful view. The Takeda Castle Ruins are located on a hill, about 350m above sea level. You can read more about Takeda Castle’s history here, but it’s all in Japanese. Since then, the castle saw a lot of different lords come and go. However, in 1557, Takeda Castle was conquered by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Otagaki Mitsukage of the Yamana clan (山名氏) built the castle and also became its lord. What is known today, though, is that the castle was built as a stronghold of Izushi Castle. According to a diary it was built from 1441-1443, but some other historical documents say it was in 1431. It is unknown when exactly Takeda Castle was built.
This phenomenon can usually be observed in the early mornings from September to November, when there is a sharp temperature difference between day and night.Īs I went in spring, I couldn’t witness this great sight, but check out this breathtaking video:īeautiful, isn’t it? I’m very tempted to visit a second time just to see this! Takeda Castle got the nickname “ Castle in the Sky” because in autumn it’s surrounded by a sea of clouds. People with knee or back issues – or elderly people should rather take a taxi. If you’re young and healthy, then this shouldn’t be a problem. I actually went by car, but decided to park in front of the train station and walk up to the castle.Īs you can see they offer bamboo sticks free of charge that might help when hiking up. Nearby sights are Himeji, Kinosaki, Izushi, Fukuchiyama or Amanohashidate. You can take a JR train to “ Takeda Station” and then either walk up to the castle (~30 mins) or take a taxi (~10 mins). Takeda Castle (竹田城) is located in Asago City (朝来市), Hyogo Prefecture ( map).