Japan Castle Atlas日本のお城アトラス
My castles日本語
The inner moat, the stone base of the keep and Mt. Shizuki behind. The keep was dismantled in 1874; the stone walls and moat remain. October 2005.
renfield kurodaCC BY-SA 2.0Wikimedia Commons

Yamaguchi · Hagi

Hagi Castle

萩城

Hagi, Yamaguchi

CastleHilltop castle (hirayamajiro)Japan's 100 Fine Castles No. 75

What makes this castle distinctive

The keep is gone, but its stone base, flaring out like an open fan, still reflects in the moat in front of Mt. Shizuki, a hill jutting into the sea.

Why?

Hagi Castle's keep base is about 11 m high. Its lower part spreads out gently and the upper part curves up steeply. Hagi stands on a river delta with soft ground, and this shape is explained as a way to spread the weight of a five-tier keep. The keep was dismantled in 1874, leaving the stone walls and moat.[2]

Three things not to miss

01
The inner moat, the stone base of the keep and Mt. Shizuki behind. The keep was dismantled in 1874; the stone walls and moat remain. October 2005.renfield kurodaCC BY-SA 2.0Wikimedia Commons

The fan-shaped keep base and inner moat

Where
The keep site at the southwest of the main enclosure, facing the inner moat
What to look at
The curve of the wall, wide at the bottom and steep at the top, and its reflection in the moat
Why it's interesting
The shape is explained as a way to spread the load of a big keep on the soft delta ground. You can climb to the top, and it is lit up from sunset until 22:00.[1][2]
Can you see it?
Visible from outsideInside Hagi Castle Ruins / Shizuki Park (admission required); also visible from outside the moat.
02
Stone walls of the Tsumemaru, the last-stand fortress on the 145 m summit of Mt. Shizuki. August 2012.TT mk2CC BY-SA 3.0Wikimedia Commons

The Tsumemaru on the summit of Mt. Shizuki

Where
The 145 m summit of Mt. Shizuki, 730 m up a trail from the trailhead
What to look at
Stone walls around the summit, old water reservoirs, and a quarry where chisel marks and wedge holes remain on the rock
Why it's interesting
The Tsumemaru was the last-stand fortress for wartime; in peacetime its turrets watched over land and sea. Granite cut away while leveling the summit was used directly for the walls, so the marks of splitting the stone can still be seen.[1][2]
Can you see it?
Visible from outsideReached on foot by a zigzag mountain trail (about 20–30 minutes according to the tourism association).
03
Site of the south gate of the second enclosure (ninomaru). The gate is gone, but the stone walls of its right-angled entry (masugata) remain. May 2017.そらみみCC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons

The stone-walled entry at the second enclosure's south gate

Where
South side of the second enclosure (ninomaru), next to the statue of Mori Terumoto
What to look at
Large, nearly vertical stone walls with huge facing stones and stones set on end
Why it's interesting
The gate is gone, but the stone walls of its masugata, a right-angled entry that kept enemies from charging straight in, remain. Compared with the gentle curve of the keep base, they show how wall styles changed from place to place.[2]
Can you see it?
Visible from outsideOutdoors and open to view.

At a glance for visitors

Nearest station
5 min walk from Maaru Bus stop "Hagijoato / Shizuki Koen Iriguchi / Kitamon Yashiki Iriguchi"
Climb
No climb
Time neededEditors' estimate
About 1 hour for the grounds at the foot of the hill; about 2 hours if you climb to the Tsumemaru on the summit.
Admission
Adults, university and high school students 220 yen; junior high and elementary students 100 yen (groups of 30+: 120 / 60 yen). Includes the Former Asa Mori Family Residence nagaya.
Hours
April–October 8:00–18:30; November–February 8:30–16:30; March 8:30–18:00
Access
Open to visitors

Hagi Castle Ruins / Shizuki Park charges admission at a ticket booth. The Hananoe tea house is usually closed inside. The Japan 100 Castles stamp is at the ticket booth.

Checked:

View on mapOpen in Google MapsHagi Castle Ruins / Shizuki Park (Hagi Tourism Association)Hagi Castle history and highlights (Hagi Tourism Association)

The story of this castle

01
Historical record

A hill on the sea and a river delta

After the Battle of Sekigahara, the Mori clan was cut down to two provinces, Suo and Nagato, and had to find a site for a new castle. Three candidates were considered: Yamaguchi, Hofu and Hagi. After talks with the shogunate, Mt. Shizuki in Hagi, which juts into the Sea of Japan, was chosen. Hagi sits on a delta between two rivers, convenient for moving goods by river and sea.[2]

02
Historical record

Built by Mori Terumoto

The castle was built by Mori Terumoto, grandson of the warlord Mori Motonari. Terumoto had served as nominal commander of the Western Army at Sekigahara, and after the defeat his lands shrank from eight provinces to two. Work began in 1604, he moved into the partly built castle that same year, and it was completed in 1608.[2]

03
Historical record

A castle on both hill and plain

Hagi Castle is a hill-and-plain castle (hirayamajiro): a fortress called the Tsumemaru on the summit of Mt. Shizuki, plus the main, second and third enclosures at its foot. Sea cliffs on the north and west sides of the hill guarded the castle's back. The main enclosure held a five-tier keep and the lord's palace, and three rings of water moats surrounded the castle.[1][2]

04
Historical record

The government moves, and the castle comes down

For about 260 years Hagi Castle was the political center of the Hagi domain. In 1863 the 13th lord, Mori Takachika, moved the domain government inland to Yamaguchi because Hagi, on the coast, was hard to defend against foreign warships. In 1874, early in the Meiji era, the keep, turrets and gates were all dismantled.[2][1]

05
Historical record

Walls, moats and a World Heritage castle town

The stone walls and inner moat survive well, and the site became a National Historic Site in 1951. Shizukiyama Shrine was built on the main enclosure in 1879, and the grounds are now Shizuki Park. The castle site inside the middle moat is part of the "Hagi Castle Town" component of the World Heritage Site "Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution". The five-tier keep has been recreated in virtual reality.[2][3]

People of this castle

Timeline

  1. Mori Terumoto begins building the castle at the foot of Mt. Shizuki[2]

  2. Hagi Castle is completed[2]

  3. The domain government moves from Hagi to Yamaguchi[2]

  4. The keep, turrets and gates are all dismantled[1][2]

  5. Shizukiyama Shrine is founded on the main enclosure[2]

  6. Designated a National Historic Site[2]

  7. Selected as one of Japan's 100 Great Castles[2][5]

Buildings and remains

The keep today

Keep lost

The five-tier keep was dismantled in 1874; only its stone base (about 11 m high) remains. It has not been rebuilt.

The site today

The main and second enclosures are now Hagi Castle Ruins / Shizuki Park (paid entry), with stone walls, the inner moat and Shizukiyama Shrine. The Tsumemaru walls remain on the summit of Mt. Shizuki. The Horiuchi district, the former third enclosure, keeps its samurai-residence streetscape.

Main buildings

Lost

Keep (tenshu)

A white five-tier keep about 14.4 m tall, of the lookout-tower type. Dismantled in 1874; photographs from the early Meiji era survive.[2]

Original, relocated

Hananoe Chatei (tea house)

Tea house built by Mori Takachika at his villa and moved to the castle site around 1889. Usually closed; tea is served on irregular days.[2]

Modern reconstruction

Kita-no-Somon (north gate of the outer moat)

One of the gates on the outer moat between the third enclosure and the town. Rebuilt in 2004 for the 400th anniversary of Hagi's founding.[2]

Key facts

Type
Castle
Setting
Hilltop castle (hirayamajiro)built on a low hill rising from the plainEditorial article
Period
Early modern (1570s–1871)Editorial article
Keep (tenshu)
Keep lostthe castle had a keep, but it no longer stands (its stone base may remain)Editorial article
Built by
Mori TerumotoJapan Castle Foundation
Built
1604Japan Castle Foundation
Main lords
Mōri clanJapan Castle Foundation
Abandoned
1874Wikipedia (ja)
Remains to see
Baileys / enclosures (kuruwa), Stone walls, Moats, Gates, Keep base (tenshudai), Fortified gateways (koguchi)Editorial article
Designation
National Historic Site (Hagi Castle ruins) (1951); Part of "Hagi Castle Town", a component of the World Heritage Site "Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution"Editorial article
Selection
Japan's 100 Fine Castles No. 75Japan Castle Foundation

Visiting

Access

Open to visitors

Hagi Castle Ruins / Shizuki Park charges admission at a ticket booth. The Hananoe tea house is usually closed inside. The Japan 100 Castles stamp is at the ticket booth.

Address

1-1 Horiuchi, Hagi, Yamaguchi[1]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Nearest stations and how to get there

Maaru Bus stop "Hagijoato / Shizuki Koen Iriguchi / Kitamon Yashiki Iriguchi"Hagi loop bus "Maaru Bus" (west loop)

about 5 min walk · No climb

5 minutes' walk from the bus stop. No official walking time is given from the JR stations, so use the bus or a car.[1]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Hours and admission

Hagi Castle Ruins / Shizuki Park
Hours
April–October 8:00–18:30; November–February 8:30–16:30; March 8:30–18:00
Closed
Open every day
Admission
Adults, university and high school students 220 yen; junior high and elementary students 100 yen (groups of 30+: 120 / 60 yen). Includes the Former Asa Mori Family Residence nagaya.[1]
Checked: 2026-10-03

By car / parking

Shizuki No. 1 Parking (free; 51 cars, 2 buses). About 25 minutes from Edo IC via Mine-Higashi JCT on the Chugoku Expressway.[1][4]

Checked: 2026-10-03
Grounds opening hours
As above. The keep base is lit up from sunset to 22:00 all year.[1]Checked: 2026-10-03
Time neededEditors' estimate
About 1 hour for the grounds at the foot of the hill; about 2 hours if you climb to the Tsumemaru on the summit.
Steps, slopes and footing
The grounds at the foot are mostly flat. The trail up Mt. Shizuki zigzags for 730 m to the summit.[1][2]
Wheelchairs and strollers
Not confirmed. A disability discount is available (adults 100 yen, children 50 yen).[1]Checked: 2026-10-03
Toilets and rest
Not confirmed
English signs / audio guide
Tablets can be borrowed free at the ticket booth to view a VR recreation of the five-tier keep (languages not confirmed).[1][2]
Seasons
In spring about 600 Somei-Yoshino cherry trees bloom (best late March to early April). Leopard plants flower in autumn, and wild sasanqua camellias, said to be at the northern limit of their range, bloom in winter.[2]
Photography
Not confirmed
Works, closures and restrictions
Hagi City's guided "Hagi Castle Honmaru and Ninomaru" walk is suspended from mid-June to mid-September to prevent heatstroke.[4]Checked: 2026-10-03

Suggested routes

Guided walk: Hagi Castle main and second enclosures 120 min

  1. Meet at the second enclosure entrance near Shizuki No. 1 Parking
  2. Tour historic spots and stone walls in the main and second enclosures
  3. Viewpoint at the site of the Shioiri Gate
  4. Former Asa Mori Family Residence nagaya
  5. Return to the second enclosure entrance

Led by guides from Hagi City's Hagi Machiju Hakubutsukan program. About 2 hours and 2 km; book by noon three days ahead. Paid (adults 2,000 yen, or 1,500 yen each for two or more). Not held mid-June to mid-September.

Around the castle

Museum

Hagi Museum

City museum in the Horiuchi district, the former third enclosure of Hagi Castle. Built in the style of a samurai residence and opened in 2004.[6]

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 fans of stone walls and moats, for those more interested in a castle's terrain than its buildings, and for anyone exploring Hagi's old castle town.

What makes it interesting

First view the fan-shaped keep base across the moat, then climb it to see Mt. Shizuki and the sea. With time and energy, hike to the Tsumemaru on the summit to understand how the castle combined hilltop and plain.

Before you go

The keep was dismantled in 1874 and has not been rebuilt. The trail up Mt. Shizuki is a real mountain path, so wear good shoes. Opening hours change with the season.

Ways to enjoy it

Borrow a tablet at the ticket booth and view the VR keep while standing at the base to picture what was lost, or compare it with the early Meiji photograph. At night the lit-up walls reflect in the moat.

Photos

Visitor reviews

Be the first to review

Have you visited this castle? We'd love to hear from you.

Write a review
Rating

We do not publish reviews that are not based on a visit, advertising, or posts containing personal information.

Open questions

Sources

  1. 1
    萩城跡・指月公園萩市観光協会tourismChecked:
  2. 2
    萩城跡(歴史・構造・見どころ)萩市観光協会tourismChecked:
  3. 3
    萩エリア～萩市の資産 萩城下町萩市municipalChecked:
  4. 4
    萩城 本丸・二の丸コース萩市 まちじゅう博物館推進課municipalChecked:
  5. 5
    日本100名城 一覧公益財団法人日本城郭協会jokakuChecked:
  6. 6
    萩博物館について萩博物館(萩市)officialChecked:
  7. 7
    List of Japan's 100 Fine Castles and the Next 100公益財団法人日本城郭協会jokakuChecked:
  8. 8
    Wikipedia「萩城」Wikipedia日本語版wikipediaChecked:
  9. 9
    Wikidata Q1064830WikidatawikidataChecked:
  10. 10
    OpenStreetMap node/11630385962© OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)osmChecked:

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

Nagato Kameyama Castle18.9 km · Not yet confirmed

Tell us if something has changed, looks wrong, or if you know of a photo we may use.

Suggest a correction or a photo