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The keep framed by autumn leaves, November 2017. It is a wooden mock keep built in 1933, not a copy of an Edo-period keep.
KitimiCC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons

Gifu · Gujō

Gujō Hachiman Castle

郡上八幡城

Gujō, Gifu

CastleMountain castle (yamajiro)Next 100 Fine Castles No. 152

What makes this castle distinctive

A wooden keep built in 1933, modeled on Ogaki Castle before the war destroyed it, still stands on the mountaintop.

Why?

The castle was pulled down in the early Meiji era, and for decades only its stone walls remained. In 1933 the mayor of Hachiman town decided to give the town a symbol and built a wooden mock keep modeled on Ogaki Castle. Ogaki's keep burned in the 1945 air raids, but this one survived, and the official site calls it Japan's oldest wooden rebuilt castle.[1][2][4]

Three things not to miss

01
The keep framed by autumn leaves, November 2017. It is a wooden mock keep built in 1933, not a copy of an Edo-period keep.KitimiCC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons

The 1933 wooden mock keep

Where
The keep base in the main enclosure on top of Mt. Hachiman
What to look at
The white four-tiered, five-story exterior, and inside, the wooden floors and pillars and the tall open space rising from the first to the second level.
Why it's interesting
It does not reproduce an original keep; it is a mock keep newly designed with Ogaki Castle as a model. Even so, it was built in wood over 90 years ago and has aged enough that its floors creak underfoot. It was made a cultural property of the town (now Gujo City) in 1987.[1][2][4][5]
Can you see it?
Visible from outsidePaid entry to the keep. The Zoku Nihon 100 Meijo stamp is on the ground floor.
02
The four-tiered, five-story keep on its natural-stone base, August 2014.z tanukiCC BY 3.0Wikimedia Commons

Natural-stone walls begun by Inaba Sadamichi

Where
Around the keep base and the main, Matsunomaru and Sakuranomaru enclosures
What to look at
Walls of barely shaped natural stone (nozura-zumi).
Why it's interesting
Inaba Sadamichi, who became lord in 1588, built high walls and a keep base and turned the site into a full-scale mountain castle; later repairs followed. The castle ruins, walls included, are a Gifu Prefecture Historic Site. The keep is from the Showa era, but the stonework is a real trace of the castle of the 16th and 17th centuries.[4][5][3]
Can you see it?
Visible from outsideDo not climb the walls; they are a protected site.
03
The old town of Gujo Hachiman and the Yoshida River seen from the castle, July 2024.LMP 2001CC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons

The castle town below

Where
The top floor of the keep and the summit grounds
What to look at
The streets of Gujo Hachiman spreading along the Yoshida River, and the mountains around them.
Why it's interesting
The castle sits about 354 m above sea level, some 130 m above the town. From here you can take in the "town of water" that the Edo-period lord Endo Tsunetomo rebuilt around canals after a great fire.[5][3]
Can you see it?
Visible from outsideThe top-floor view requires a keep ticket.

At a glance for visitors

Nearest station
40 min walk from Gujo-Hachiman Station (Nagaragawa Railway)
Climb
Steep climb
Time neededEditors' estimate
About 1.5 hours including the walk up from town and back
Admission
Adults (high school and up) 400 yen, children (elementary and junior high) 200 yen; groups of 20+ 350/150 yen. Free with a disability certificate of grade 3 or higher. Combined ticket with the Gujo Hachiman Hakurankan museum: 750/400 yen.
Hours
Mar–May and Sep–Oct 9:00–17:00; Jun–Aug 8:00–18:00; Nov–Feb 9:00–16:30 (last entry 15 minutes before closing)
Access
Open to visitors

You can walk up to the summit grounds; entry to the keep is paid. On the day of the town fireworks (usually around August 7) the castle opens only in the early morning, and the summit is closed to the public from 11:00.

Checked:

View on mapOpen in Google MapsGujo Hachiman Castle (official site)

The story of this castle

01
Historical record

A castle that began as a battle camp

In 1559 Endo Morikazu fought Tō Tsuneyoshi, lord of the Gujo area, for control of the region. The camp Morikazu set up on Mt. Hachiman (then called Ushikubiyama) was the start of Gujo Hachiman Castle. His son Endo Yoshitaka went on to unite Gujo and build the castle and its town.[3][6]

02
Historical record

Inaba Sadamichi builds a true mountain castle

Endo Yoshitaka was later moved to another domain, and in 1588 Inaba Sadamichi, son of the warlord Inaba Ittetsu, became lord. Sadamichi built high stone walls and a keep base, remaking the site into a full mountain castle.[3][6]

03
Historical record

The Battle of Hachiman Castle

On the first day of the ninth month of 1600, just before the Battle of Sekigahara, Endo Yoshitaka and Kanamori Arishige, on the Tokugawa side, fought Inaba Sadamichi, on the opposing side, for this castle. After the war Yoshitaka returned as lord, the first lord of Gujo Hachiman recognized by the Tokugawa shogunate.[3]

04
Historical record

Seat of the Gujo domain and its "town of water"

In 1667 Yoshitaka's grandson Endo Tsunetomo carried out a major rebuilding of the castle and town. He remade the fire-ravaged town with water channels to make it fire-resistant, laying the foundation of the streets you see today. The castle later passed to the Inoue and Kanamori families; after a huge farmers' uprising in the 1750s (the Gujo Uprising) the Kanamori lost the domain, and the Aoyama family ruled until the Meiji era.[3][6][10]

05
Historical record

Only the stone walls survived Meiji

Demolition began in 1870, and every building was removed, leaving only the stone walls. With the abolition of the domains in 1871, the castle was decommissioned and the Gujo domain came to an end.[3]

06
Historical record

A wooden mock keep in 1933

In October 1933 Hachiman town built a keep, a corner turret and tall walls in wood on the old keep base. It is a mock keep modeled on Ogaki Castle, not a reproduction of the original. In 1955 the castle ruins, including the stone walls, became a Gifu Prefecture Historic Site, and in 1987 the keep was made a cultural property of the town (now Gujo City). Earthquake reinforcement and new exhibits were completed in 2023.[2][3][6]

People of this castle

Timeline

  1. Endo Morikazu sets up camp on Mt. Hachiman, the castle's origin[3][5]

  2. Inaba Sadamichi becomes lord and builds stone walls and a keep base[3][6][11]

  3. The Battle of Hachiman Castle before Sekigahara; Endo Yoshitaka returns as lord[3][11]

  4. Endo Tsunetomo rebuilds the castle and town[3]

  5. Everything but the stone walls is demolished[3]

  6. A wooden mock keep, corner turret and walls are built[2][3]

  7. The ruins become a Gifu Prefecture Historic Site[2]

Buildings and remains

The keep today

Mock keep

A wooden four-tiered, five-story mock keep (the official term) built in 1933. It was designed with pre-war Ogaki Castle as a model and does not reproduce the original keep. A Gujo City Important Cultural Property.

The site today

The castle ruins occupy the top of Mt. Hachiman, with the 1933 keep, turret and walls. The area is Shiroyama Park, and statues of Yamauchi Kazutoyo and his wife Chiyo stand on what the official site describes as the former main enclosure.

Main buildings

Modern reconstructionGujo City Important Cultural Property

Keep (tenshu)

1933 wooden mock keep; 118.98 m² footprint, 17.18 m tall. Seismically reinforced in 2023.[5][2][6]

Modern reconstruction

Corner turret and walls

Built with the keep in 1933 and repaired in 1990–1991.[2]

OriginalGifu Prefecture Historic Site

Stone walls

Natural-stone walls, begun under Inaba Sadamichi and later repaired, including work in the 1980s.[5][2]

Key facts

Type
Castle
Setting
Mountain castle (yamajiro)built on a mountain; expect a climbEditorial article
Period
Medieval (c.1185–1570s), Early modern (1570s–1871), ModernEditorial article
Keep (tenshu)
Mock keepa keep-shaped building where no keep existed, or where its appearance is unknownEditorial article
Built by
Endo Yoshitaka, Endō MorikazuJapan Castle Foundation
Built
1566Japan Castle Foundation
Main lords
Aoyama clan, Inaba clan, Inoue clan, Kanamori clan, Endō clanJapan Castle Foundation
Abandoned
1869Wikipedia (ja)
Remains to see
Baileys / enclosures (kuruwa), Stone walls, Turrets or turret bases, Gates, Keep base (tenshudai)Editorial article
Designation
Gifu Prefecture Historic Site (Hachiman Castle ruins) (1955); Gujo City Important Cultural Property (keep) (1987)Editorial article
Selection
Next 100 Fine Castles No. 152Japan Castle Foundation

Visiting

Access

Open to visitors

You can walk up to the summit grounds; entry to the keep is paid. On the day of the town fireworks (usually around August 7) the castle opens only in the early morning, and the summit is closed to the public from 11:00.

Address

659 Ichinohira, Yanagimachi, Hachiman-cho, Gujo, Gifu 501-4214[8]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Nearest stations and how to get there

Gujo-Hachiman Station (Nagaragawa Railway)Nagaragawa Railway

about 40 min walk · Steep climb

About 20 minutes on foot from the station to the town center, then about 20 more minutes uphill to the castle. A taxi from the station takes about 12 minutes. You can also take the Mame Bus town loop to Jokamachi Plaza and walk about 20 minutes from there.[8]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Hours and admission

Gujo Hachiman Castle keep
Hours
Mar–May and Sep–Oct 9:00–17:00; Jun–Aug 8:00–18:00; Nov–Feb 9:00–16:30 (last entry 15 minutes before closing)
Closed
December 20 – January 10; may close for weather
Admission
Adults (high school and up) 400 yen, children (elementary and junior high) 200 yen; groups of 20+ 350/150 yen. Free with a disability certificate of grade 3 or higher. Combined ticket with the Gujo Hachiman Hakurankan museum: 750/400 yen.[4][1]
Checked: 2026-10-03

By car / parking

About 12 minutes from Gujo-Hachiman IC on the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway. Free parking at the summit (about 25 cars) and at Shiroyama Park (about 17 cars; 10-minute walk). The road up is narrow and winding and may be restricted when busy. Buses cannot drive up; use the paid Jokamachi Plaza car park (20-minute walk).[8]

Checked: 2026-10-03
Grounds opening hours
Not confirmedChecked: 2026-10-03
Time neededEditors' estimate
About 1.5 hours including the walk up from town and back
Steps, slopes and footing
It is a mountain castle: expect about 20 minutes of uphill walking from the town.[8]
Wheelchairs and strollers
The official site notes that the castle, as a historic site, is not barrier-free.[4]Checked: 2026-10-03
Toilets and rest
Not confirmed
English signs / audio guide
The official website has English headings, but English signage inside the keep is not confirmed.[1]
Seasons
Most trees in the grounds are maples, and the leaves usually peak in mid-November. A maple festival with evening illumination is held in November, and a fresh-green festival in May.[5][4]
Photography
Drones are not allowed anywhere around the castle without permission. The castle can be seen from Horikoshi Pass (Route 256) across the river, but the official site warns the road is narrow and dangerous and asks people not to stop on it.[4][5]
Works, closures and restrictions
From 13:00 on October 15, 2026, the road up Shiroyama is closed to vehicles for paving work (pedestrians can still pass; postponed if it rains). No fires or smoking anywhere in the castle area.[9][4]Checked: 2026-10-03

Around the castle

Museum

Gujo Hachiman Hakurankan

A museum in a former tax office built in 1920, introducing Gujo Hachiman's water, history and the Gujo Odori dance. A combined ticket with the castle is available.[4]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Editors' guide

An editorial guide based on sources and confirmed information — not a first-hand visit report.

Who will enjoy it

Good for anyone who wants a hilltop castle and a historic town in one trip, who enjoys walking through old wooden buildings, or who is traveling in autumn-leaf season.

What makes it interesting

The keep is a Showa-era mock keep, but its wooden floors, pillars and tall open space are worth seeing. The stone walls below are genuine traces of the 16th- and 17th-century castle, so look at the keep and the walls as pieces from different eras.

Before you go

The keep is a 1933 mock keep, not a recreation of the Edo-period keep. It is a long walk from the station with an uphill stretch. Closed December 20 – January 10.

Ways to enjoy it

Stroll the old town first, then climb up and look down from the top floor at the streets you just walked; the link between castle and town becomes clear. Also look for the statues of Yamauchi Kazutoyo and Chiyo in Shiroyama Park and the spots tied to the Oyoshi and Akahige Sakubei legends.

Photos

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Open questions

Sources

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    郡上八幡城 公式サイト トップ郡上八幡城(一般財団法人郡上八幡産業振興公社)officialChecked:
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    郡上八幡城の沿革郡上八幡城(一般財団法人郡上八幡産業振興公社)officialChecked:
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    郡上八幡の歴史郡上八幡城(一般財団法人郡上八幡産業振興公社)officialChecked:
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    ご利用案内郡上八幡城(一般財団法人郡上八幡産業振興公社)officialChecked:
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    お城の楽しみ方郡上八幡城(一般財団法人郡上八幡産業振興公社)officialChecked:
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    郡上八幡城(補助資料)Wikipedia日本語版otherChecked:
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    アクセス郡上八幡城(一般財団法人郡上八幡産業振興公社)officialChecked:
  9. 9
    10月15日(木)13時から車両通行止めのご案内郡上八幡城(一般財団法人郡上八幡産業振興公社)officialChecked:
  10. 10
    郡上八幡城にまつわる歴史物語・伝説郡上八幡城(一般財団法人郡上八幡産業振興公社)officialChecked:
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    歴代城主一覧郡上八幡城(一般財団法人郡上八幡産業振興公社)officialChecked:
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Listing status

  1. Candidate foundChecked
  2. Confirmed as a castle siteChecked
  3. Basic informationChecked
  4. In-depth articleChecked
  5. Photo rights checkedChecked
  6. Visit info checkedChecked

Castles nearby

Akadaniyama Castle1.3 km · Not yet confirmedShinowaki Castle6.6 km · Not yet confirmedFuneno Castle16.9 km · No keep recordedHitotsuyanagi Castle18.7 km · Not yet confirmedNataozan Castle21.8 km · Not yet confirmedSumi Castle22.4 km · No keep recorded

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