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Kakegawa Castle's keep, mid-March 2018. Rebuilt in wood in 1994, it has three roofs outside and four floors inside.
掛川市 行政課(掛川市ウェブサイト)CC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons

Shizuoka · Kakegawa

Kakegawa Castle

掛川城

Kakegawa, Shizuoka

CastleHilltop castle (hirayamajiro)Japan's 100 Fine Castles No. 46

What makes this castle distinctive

At the foot of a keep rebuilt in wood after 140 years stands an Edo-period palace that never left.

Why?

Kakegawa's keep was destroyed in the great Ansei earthquake of 1854 and was never rebuilt before the Meiji era. Thanks to local enthusiasm it was reconstructed in wood in 1994, which the castle calls Japan's first authentic wooden keep reconstruction. Just below it survives the palace rebuilt after the earthquake, now an Important Cultural Property.[1][3][6]

Three things not to miss

01
Kakegawa Castle's keep, mid-March 2018. Rebuilt in wood in 1994, it has three roofs outside and four floors inside.掛川市 行政課(掛川市ウェブサイト)CC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons

The keep, rebuilt in wood in 1994

Where
On the keep enclosure (tenshumaru) north of the main enclosure.
What to look at
Three roofs outside but four floors inside; the tiny lookout on top compared with the lower floors; and the side projections and entrance turret that make it look bigger.
Why it's interesting
The main body is only about 12 m by 10 m, but the projections and entrance turret make it look larger and more complex. The castle explains that the very small top floor is a trace of the earliest keeps, which were simply a lookout set on top of a residence. The all-white walls are thought to follow the Jurakudai palace in Kyoto, and the black balcony rails Osaka Castle's keep.[1][4]
Can you see it?
Visible from outsideYou can go inside (one ticket covers the keep and the palace; adults 410 yen). Open every day.
02
Kakegawa Castle Palace (Goten), February 2017. Rebuilt in 1855–1861 after the Ansei earthquake, this shoin-style palace is an Important Cultural Property.Asturio CantabrioCC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons

Kakegawa Castle Palace, an Edo-period original

Where
In the second enclosure (ninomaru), southeast of the keep.
What to look at
Seven connected buildings with about 20 rooms in the shoin style, and the separate entrances used by people of different rank.
Why it's interesting
This was both the lord's official residence and the domain's government office. It collapsed in the 1854 earthquake and was rebuilt between 1855 and 1861. The city says castle palaces survive in only a few places in Japan, and this one became an Important Cultural Property in 1980. The lord and senior retainers used the formal entrance, other samurai the east door, and foot soldiers the earthen-floored entrance on the north.[3][7]
Can you see it?
Visible from outsideOpen inside (same ticket as the keep).
03
The crescent-shaped Mikazuki-bori moat in front of the main enclosure gate, February 2017. It was originally 8 m deep.AraisyoheiCC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons

The crescent moat and the Mist-Spraying Well

Where
The crescent moat lies in front of the main enclosure gate (Yotsuashi-mon); the well is beside the keep base.
What to look at
The deep, crescent-shaped moat and the well beside the keep base.
Why it's interesting
The crescent moat was originally 8 m deep, and excavation found a stone wall and a row of post holes on its south side. Legend says that when Tokugawa Ieyasu attacked Imagawa Ujizane here, mist rose from this well and hid the whole castle so it could not be attacked. That is said to be the origin of the castle's nickname, Unmu-jo, the Castle of Clouds and Mist.[6]
Can you see it?
Visible from outsideVisible within the castle park.

At a glance for visitors

Nearest station
7 min walk from JR Kakegawa Station
Climb
Some climbing
Time neededEditors' estimate
About 1–1.5 hours for the keep and palace.
Admission
Adults (high school and older) 410 yen, elementary and junior high students 150 yen; groups of 20+: 320 / 120 yen. Free for holders of disability certificates and one caregiver.
Hours
9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Access
Open to visitors

Kakegawa Castle Park is free to walk around. The keep and palace require a ticket (one ticket covers both). The drum turret is exterior only. The location of the Japan 100 Castles stamp is not confirmed.

Checked:

View on mapOpen in Google MapsKakegawa Castle (official site)Kakegawa Castle (Kakegawa City tourism, Japanese)

The story of this castle

01
Historical record

An Imagawa base for pushing into Totomi

The Imagawa clan, governors of Suruga, had their retainer Asahina build a castle to expand west into Totomi province (today's western Shizuoka). The first castle stood about 500 m east of the current one, on a hill called Ryudozan, and is now known as Kakegawa Kojo, the old castle. In the early 1500s a new Kakegawa Castle was built on its present site, Ryuzusan.[2]

02
Historical record

Imagawa's last stand and Ieyasu's siege

After Imagawa Yoshimoto was killed at the Battle of Okehazama in 1560, his son Ujizane was driven out of Suruga by the Takeda clan and in 1568 took refuge in Kakegawa Castle. The next year Tokugawa Ieyasu besieged it, and after six months of fighting the castle was handed over under a peace agreement. Ieyasu's senior retainer Ishikawa Ienari then held it as a base against the Takeda.[2]

03
Historical record

Yamauchi Kazutoyo adds the first keep

When Ieyasu was moved to the Kanto region in 1590, Yamauchi Kazutoyo, a vassal of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, took over Kakegawa. He rebuilt the castle on a large scale, raised its first keep, built the main gate, and also worked on the castle town and on flood control along the Oi River. It is said that Kochi Castle, which he later built in Tosa, was modeled on Kakegawa.[2][6]

04
Historical record

An earthquake fells the keep; the palace survives

The great Ansei earthquake of 1854 brought down the keep and most other buildings. The palace, the drum turret and the Fuki Gate were rebuilt, but the keep was not, and the castle was abolished in 1869. The palace survived through various later uses, was restored in 1972–1975, and became an Important Cultural Property in 1980.[1][3]

05
Historical record

A wooden keep again after 140 years

For a long time the keep base and main enclosure were simply a city park. But residents' determination to bring back the keep paid off, and in April 1994 it was rebuilt in wood. The castle describes it as Japan's first authentic wooden keep reconstruction, recreating the beauty once praised as the finest castle on the Tokai coast. The main gate followed in wood in 1995.[1][2][7]

People of this castle

Timeline

  1. The castle says the old castle was built 1497–1501 and moved to the present site in the early 1500s; the Japan Castle Foundation gives about 1512

    The Asahina, on Imagawa orders, build the first castle[2][8]

  2. Tokugawa Ieyasu takes the castle by negotiated surrender after a six-month siege[2]

  3. Yamauchi Kazutoyo arrives and builds the first keep[2]

  4. The Ansei earthquake destroys the keep and other buildings[1][3]

  5. Rebuilding of the palace is completed[3]

  6. The palace becomes an Important Cultural Property[3]

  7. The keep is rebuilt in wood[1][6]

Buildings and remains

The keep today

Historically documented reconstruction

Rebuilt in wood in 1994 (listed by the Japan Castle Foundation as a wooden reconstruction, lookout style, three roofs and four floors). The castle calls it Japan's first authentic wooden keep reconstruction.

The site today

The site is now Kakegawa Castle Park, with the wooden reconstructed keep, the original Edo-period palace, the drum turret, the reconstructed main gate and Yotsuashi Gate, and the crescent moat. Many other remains were lost to roads and public buildings after the Meiji era.

Main buildings

Rebuilt in wood

Keep (tenshu)

Collapsed in 1854; rebuilt in wood in 1994.[1]

OriginalImportant Cultural Property

Kakegawa Castle Palace (Goten)

Shoin-style palace rebuilt in 1855–1861; seven buildings, about 20 rooms.[3]

Original, relocatedKakegawa City Cultural Property

Taiko Yagura (drum turret)

Housed the drum that told the town the time. Originally in the third enclosure and later moved. Exterior only; the drum itself, also a city cultural property, is shown in the palace.[6][8][9]

Rebuilt in wood

Ote-mon (main gate)

Rebuilt in wood in 1995; the original site was about 50 m to the south.[7]

Modern reconstruction

Yotsuashi-mon (gate)

No remains of the gate were found; it was rebuilt from a 17th-century castle map.[6]

Key facts

Type
Castle
Setting
Hilltop castle (hirayamajiro)built on a low hill rising from the plainEditorial article
Period
Medieval (c.1185–1570s), Early modern (1570s–1871)Editorial article
Keep (tenshu)
Historically documented reconstructiona building reconstructed from plans, photographs or other historical recordsEditorial article
Built by
Yamauchi Kazutoyo, Asahina YasuhiroJapan Castle Foundation
Built
1512Japan Castle Foundation
Main lords
Aoyama clan, Honda clan, Matsudaira clan, Ishikawa clan, Ii clan, Ogasawara clan, Ōta clan, Yamauchi clan, Asahina clan, Hōjō clanJapan Castle Foundation
Abandoned
1871Wikipedia (ja)
Remains to see
Baileys / enclosures (kuruwa), Turrets or turret bases, Gates, Stone walls, Earthen ramparts, Moats, Keep base (tenshudai)Editorial article
Designation
Important Cultural Property (Kakegawa Castle Palace) (1980); Kakegawa City Cultural Property (Taiko Yagura)Editorial article
Selection
Japan's 100 Fine Castles No. 46Japan Castle Foundation

Visiting

Access

Open to visitors

Kakegawa Castle Park is free to walk around. The keep and palace require a ticket (one ticket covers both). The drum turret is exterior only. The location of the Japan 100 Castles stamp is not confirmed.

Address

1138-24 Kakegawa, Kakegawa, Shizuoka 436-0079[1][6]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Nearest stations and how to get there

JR Kakegawa StationJR Tokaido Shinkansen and Tokaido Line, Tenryu Hamanako Railroad

about 7 min walk · Some climbing

7 minutes' walk from the station. To reach the keep, climb the stone steps from Yotsuashi Gate.[5][6]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Hours and admission

Keep and palace
Hours
9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Closed
Open every day
Admission
Adults (high school and older) 410 yen, elementary and junior high students 150 yen; groups of 20+: 320 / 120 yen. Free for holders of disability certificates and one caregiver.[4][6]
Checked: 2026-10-03
Ninomaru Tea House
Hours
9:30–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Closed
Open every day
Admission
Tea with sweets (sencha or matcha): adults 510 yen, children 250 yen. Viewing the garden is free.[4]
Checked: 2026-10-03

By car / parking

About 10 minutes from the Kakegawa IC on the Tomei Expressway. Ote-mon parking (paid, about 200 spaces) and Kakegawa Castle Park parking (paid, 58 cars only).[5]

Checked: 2026-10-03
Grounds opening hours
Not confirmedChecked: 2026-10-03
Time neededEditors' estimate
About 1–1.5 hours for the keep and palace.
Steps, slopes and footing
The keep stands on a raised enclosure reached by stone steps from Yotsuashi Gate.[6][7]
Wheelchairs and strollers
Not confirmedChecked: 2026-10-03
Toilets and rest
Outdoors within the palace grounds.[4]
English signs / audio guide
The official site offers a machine-translated English version. English signage inside is not confirmed.[1]
Seasons
About 130 cherry trees of three kinds (shiki-zakura, weeping cherry and Somei-yoshino) surround the castle. The keep is lit up at night.[6]
Photography
Requests for photo or film shoots are handled through the official site. Photo rules inside are not confirmed.[1]
Works, closures and restrictions
For the Kakegawa Festival, major traffic restrictions apply around the castle on October 9 (18:00–21:00) and October 10–11 (9:00–21:00), 2026; drivers should approach from the north side.[10]Checked: 2026-10-03

Suggested routes

City walking route: around Kakegawa Castle 180 min

  1. Kakegawa Castle keep
  2. Kakegawa Castle Palace
  3. Ninomaru Tea House
  4. Ninomaru Museum of Art (3 min walk)
  5. Dainippon Hotokusha (3 min)
  6. Takenomaru (5 min)
  7. Ryugein Daiyuin Mausoleum (5 min)
  8. Ote-mon gate and guardhouse
  9. Sanko Inari Shrine (10 min)
  10. Korecchika-dokoro shop in Kakegawa Station

Route as published by Kakegawa City; walking times between stops are the city's. The 180-minute total, including time inside each stop, is an editorial estimate; the city gives no total.

Around the castle

Museum

Dainippon Hotokusha

Headquarters of the Hotoku movement inspired by Ninomiya Sontoku, founded in the early Meiji era; an Important Cultural Property. Adults 300 yen.[4][7]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Garden

Takenomaru

Once the residence area of senior retainers on the approach to the keep and main enclosure. Adults 100 yen.[4][7]

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

For anyone who wants to walk inside a keep built of wood, see how an Edo-period palace's rooms were used, or stop off between bullet trains. It is 7 minutes from the station.

What makes it interesting

Notice how the keep has three roofs outside but four floors inside, and how small the top floor is. Then visit the palace to compare a genuine Edo-period building with the reconstructed keep. Add the crescent moat and the Mist-Spraying Well for both defenses and legend.

Before you go

The keep is a 1994 wooden reconstruction; the palace and drum turret are the Edo-period survivors. One ticket covers keep and palace, and they are open every day. Expect traffic restrictions around the castle during the October Kakegawa Festival.

Ways to enjoy it

In spring, view the keep through cherry blossoms. The Ninomaru Tea House is a pleasant spot for tea with a view of the keep.

Photos

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Open questions

Sources

  1. 1
    掛川城 天守閣掛川城(掛川城公園管理事務所)officialChecked:
  2. 2
    掛川城の歴史掛川城(掛川城公園管理事務所)officialChecked:
  3. 3
    掛川城 御殿掛川城(掛川城公園管理事務所)officialChecked:
  4. 4
    ご利用案内掛川城(掛川城公園管理事務所)officialChecked:
  5. 5
    アクセス掛川城(掛川城公園管理事務所)officialChecked:
  6. 6
    掛川城(観光スポット)掛川市municipalChecked:
  7. 7
    掛川城周辺・散策コース1掛川市municipalChecked:
  8. 8
    日本100名城 一覧公益財団法人日本城郭協会jokakuChecked:
  9. 9
    掛川城(補助資料)Wikipedia日本語版otherChecked:
  10. 10
    【お知らせ】掛川祭に伴う掛川城周辺の大規模交通規制について掛川城(公式note)officialChecked:
  11. 11
    List of Japan's 100 Fine Castles and the Next 100公益財団法人日本城郭協会jokakuChecked:
  12. 12
    Wikipedia「掛川城」Wikipedia日本語版wikipediaChecked:
  13. 13
    Wikidata Q2969457WikidatawikidataChecked:

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

Mitsuiyama Fort4.3 km · Not yet confirmedBijindani Castle4.4 km · No keep recordedKurami Castle4.8 km · No keep recordedTakinoya Castle5.3 km · No keep recordedFort Nogasaka7.4 km · Not yet confirmedKuno Castle8 km · Not yet confirmed

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