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A weeping cherry and Inari Yagura, a turret rebuilt in 2004, April 2019.
江戸村のとくぞうCC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons

Yamanashi · Kofu

Maizuru Castle Park

甲府城

Kofu, Yamanashi

CastleHilltop castle (hirayamajiro)Japan's 100 Fine Castles No. 30

What makes this castle distinctive

Kofu Station itself stands on the site of one of the castle's enclosures.

Why?

After the castle buildings were torn down in the Meiji era, the Chuo Line's Kofu Station was built in 1897 on the site of the castle's northern Shimizu enclosure. The railway split the castle in two: today Maizuru Castle Park lies south of the station, and a historical park with the rebuilt Yamanote gates lies to the north. Walk two minutes east from the South Exit and you are already at the castle's stone walls.[1][5]

Three things not to miss

01
The stone base for a keep in the keep enclosure (date unknown; uploaded 2007). Whether a keep ever stood on it is not known.HOSTで巡査部長(硫黄島観賞)CC BY 3.0Wikimedia Commons

The keep base and its "brother stones"

Where
The keep enclosure in the heart of the castle, northwest of the main enclosure.
What to look at
The rough-stone walls of the keep base, the "brother stones" made by splitting one rock in two, and the square holes (yaana) drilled to split the stone.
Why it's interesting
Kofu Castle is the only Edo-period-style castle ever built in Yamanashi, and it is protected as a site where the original stone walls survive in good condition. The keep base survives, but research has not settled whether a keep was ever built on it. The castle grounds look out over Kofu and, on clear days, Mount Fuji.[1][4][6][10]
Can you see it?
Visible from outsideMaizuru Castle Park is always open and free.
02
Kurogane-mon, the two-story gate between the main enclosure and the keep enclosure, rebuilt in 2013, with the Shaon monument on the left, February 2016.でここCC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons

Kurogane-mon, the gate rebuilt in 2013

Where
Between the main enclosure and the keep enclosure.
What to look at
The two-story gatehouse at the top of stone steps, and the original foundation stones at its feet.
Why it's interesting
Originally called the South Gate, it was renamed Kurogane-mon (Iron Gate) in the Yanagisawa era. It was torn down in the Meiji era, but excavations in 1993 and 1997 found its foundation stones and stone steps, and it was rebuilt on that basis in 2013—about 140 years after the castle was abolished.[3][7][1]
Can you see it?
Visible from outsideYou can walk through it.
03
A weeping cherry and Inari Yagura, a turret rebuilt in 2004, April 2019.江戸村のとくぞうCC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons

Inari Yagura, and the Yamanote gates north of the station

Where
Inari Yagura is in the Inari enclosure at the park's northeast corner; the Yamanote gates are in Kofu City Historical Park on the north side of Kofu Station.
What to look at
The white two-tiered turret, and the large gatehouse standing across the station.
Why it's interesting
Inari Yagura was rebuilt in 2004 and is free to enter. The Yamanote gates were one of the castle's three entrances; they were rebuilt in 2007 on excavated stone foundations, using a map from around 1700 to recreate their look in Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu's time. Inside the gatehouse is an exhibition room, and its viewing area looks out to Mount Fuji and Inari Yagura.[1][2][9]
Can you see it?
Visible from outsideBoth can be entered free of charge (closed Mondays, the day after national holidays, and at New Year).

At a glance for visitors

Nearest station
2 min walk from JR Kofu Station, South Exit
Climb
Not confirmed
Time neededEditors' estimate
About an hour to walk around Maizuru Castle Park; about 1.5 hours if you add the Yamanote gates north of the station.
Admission
Free
Hours
9:00–16:30 (last entry 16:00)
Access
Open to visitors

Maizuru Castle Park and Kofu City Historical Park are always open and free. Inari Yagura and the Yamanote gatehouse are also free to enter during their opening hours.

Checked:

View on mapOpen in Google MapsKofu Castle (Kofu City)Kofu Castle Historic Site (Yamanashi Archaeological Center)

The story of this castle

01
Historical record

From the Takeda residence to Ichijo-koyama

In the Takeda era, the center of Kai was the Tsutsujigasaki residence to the north. After the Takeda fell in 1582 and control of Kai passed from one ruler to another, a new castle was built on Ichijo-koyama, a low hill to the south, at a key point in the Kofu basin linking the Kanto region with the west.[1][4]

02
Historical record

Built on Hideyoshi's orders

When Toyotomi Hideyoshi unified Japan and moved Tokugawa Ieyasu to the Kanto region, Kai was given to Hideyoshi's nephew Hashiba Hidekatsu and then to Kato Mitsuyasu, and construction began. After Mitsuyasu died on campaign in Korea, Asano Nagamasa and his son Yoshinaga finished the castle. Tiles bearing the Asano and Toyotomi crests, and tiles with gold leaf, have been excavated here.[1][4]

03
Scholarly interpretation

First watching Ieyasu, then guarding Edo's west

Kofu Castle is said to have been built as a key stronghold against Ieyasu in the Kanto. After the Battle of Sekigahara it became a Tokugawa castle and was valued instead as a guard on Edo's western flank. In the early Edo period it was a special castle whose lords were members of the shogun's own family.[1]

04
Historical record

The Yanagisawa years and the Kofu garrison

In 1704 Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu, chamberlain to the fifth shogun Tsunayoshi, became lord, and the castle and town reached their fullest development. But when the Yanagisawa family moved to Koriyama in Yamato in 1724, Kai came under direct shogunate rule and the castle was guarded by officials called the Kofu Kinban. A great fire in 1727 destroyed the main palace and the Akagane-mon gate, and the castle gradually lost its former splendor.[1][4]

05
Historical record

Railway and government buildings carved it up

When the castle was abolished in the Meiji era, almost all its buildings were demolished, and an agricultural experiment station and even a winery were set up inside. In 1897 Kofu Station was built on the Shimizu enclosure, the prefectural office went up on the Gakuya enclosure, and moats were filled in. Even so, the central inner castle keeps much of its original stone walling.[1][5]

06
Historical record

Restoration as a park

The castle site opened to the public as Maizuru Park in 1904. It became a prefectural historic site in 1968 and a National Historic Site in 2019. Since 1990 Yamanashi Prefecture has been excavating and restoring the site, rebuilding Inari Yagura in 2004 and Kurogane-mon in 2013 and continuing to repair the stone walls. North of the station, Kofu City rebuilt the Yamanote gates in 2007.[1][4][6][9]

People of this castle

Timeline

  1. Hashiba Hidekatsu takes over Kai and construction begins[1]

  2. Asano Nagamasa and Yoshinaga arrive and complete the castle[1][4]

  3. Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu becomes lord[1]

  4. The castle is abolished[1]

  5. Kofu Station opens on the site of the Shimizu enclosure[1]

  6. Kurogane-mon is rebuilt[7][3]

  7. Designated a National Historic Site[6][4]

Buildings and remains

The keep today

Not yet confirmed

The keep base survives (the Japan Castle Foundation lists "only the keep base remains"). Whether a keep was ever built has not been determined from either documents or excavation.

The site today

The core of the castle (the inner castle) is Yamanashi Prefecture's Maizuru Castle Park, and north of the station is Kofu City Historical Park. The castle once covered about 19 ha; today's historic site is about 6 ha, with the prefectural office, Kofu Station and city streets on the rest.

Main buildings

Rebuilt in wood

Inari Yagura (turret)

Two-tiered turret rebuilt in 2004; free to enter.[1][2][11]

Rebuilt in wood

Kurogane-mon (gate)

Two-story gatehouse between the main and keep enclosures, rebuilt in 2013 based on excavated foundation stones.[7][6]

Rebuilt in wood

Yamanote-mon and Yamanote Watari Yagura-mon

North of Kofu Station; rebuilt in 2007 with traditional methods on excavated stone foundations. The gatehouse holds an exhibition room.[9][1]

Not confirmed

Keep (tenshu)

Only the base exists; whether a keep was built is unresolved.[10][11]

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)
Not yet confirmedwhether a keep existed is still being checkedEditorial article
Built by
Asano Nagamasa, Tokugawa Ieyasu, Toyotomi HidekatsuJapan Castle Foundation
Built
1590Japan Castle Foundation
Main lords
Katō clan, Tokugawa clan, Asano clan, Yanagisawa clanJapan Castle Foundation
Abandoned
1873Wikipedia (ja)
Remains to see
Stone walls, Moats, Turrets or turret bases, Gates, Baileys / enclosures (kuruwa), Keep base (tenshudai)Editorial article
Designation
National Historic Site (Kofu Castle ruins) (2019); Yamanashi Prefectural Historic Site (later upgraded) (1968)Editorial article
Selection
Japan's 100 Fine Castles No. 30Japan Castle Foundation

Visiting

Access

Open to visitors

Maizuru Castle Park and Kofu City Historical Park are always open and free. Inari Yagura and the Yamanote gatehouse are also free to enter during their opening hours.

Address

1-chome Marunouchi, Kofu, Yamanashi (Maizuru Castle Park)[2][8]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Nearest stations and how to get there

JR Kofu Station, South ExitJR Chuo Line, Minobu Line

about 2 min walk · Not confirmed

Two minutes' walk east from the South Exit to Maizuru Castle Park. The Yamanote gates are on the north side of the station.[5][9]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Hours and admission

Inari Yagura
Hours
9:00–16:30 (last entry 16:00)
Closed
Mondays (open on national holidays), the day after national holidays, December 29 – January 3
Admission
Free[2]
Checked: 2026-10-03
Yamanote gates (Kofu City Historical Park)
Hours
9:00–17:00
Closed
Mondays (open on national holidays), the day after national holidays, December 29 – January 3
Admission
Free[9]
Checked: 2026-10-03

By car / parking

From the Kofu-Showa or Kofu-Minami IC on the Chuo Expressway. The park's own parking is only for buses and people with disabilities (contact the park office in advance). Other cars should use nearby paid lots such as the prefectural North Exit parking garage.[5][2]

Checked: 2026-10-03
Grounds opening hours
Always open[1][9]Checked: 2026-10-03
Time neededEditors' estimate
About an hour to walk around Maizuru Castle Park; about 1.5 hours if you add the Yamanote gates north of the station.
Steps, slopes and footing
The castle is built on a low hill, with enclosures stepped up by stone walls. Stone stairs lead up to the keep base.[10][1]
Wheelchairs and strollers
The park's parking lot doubles as parking for people with disabilities (contact the office in advance). Step-free routes within the park are not confirmed.[2]Checked: 2026-10-03
Toilets and rest
Not confirmed
English signs / audio guide
Not confirmed
Seasons
Cherry blossoms in spring. The view from Kofu City Historical Park, together with Maizuru Castle Park, is listed among the 100 Views of Mount Fuji from the Kanto region.[9]
Photography
Not confirmed
Works, closures and restrictions
The prefecture repairs sections of the stone walls year by year. It asks visitors not to touch the stones with engraved drawings, which are easily damaged.[3][12]Checked: 2026-10-03

Around the castle

Castle town

Takeda Residence site (Takeda Shrine)

The site of the Takeda residence, the center of Kai before Kofu Castle was built. About 8 minutes by bus from Kofu Station's North Exit.[13]

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

Great for rail travelers who want an easy castle stop, and for anyone who enjoys comparing stone-wall techniques and the marks left by stone splitting. It is two minutes from the station and free.

What makes it interesting

Climb the keep base to look out over the city and mountains, and search its walls for the "brother stones." At Sakashita-mon you can compare stone walls from different periods. Finish at the Yamanote gatehouse exhibition room north of the station to grasp how large the castle once was.

Before you go

There is no keep, and no one knows whether there ever was one. Inari Yagura, Kurogane-mon and the Yamanote gates are modern reconstructions. The railway divides the site, so go around to the North Exit side for the Yamanote gates.

Ways to enjoy it

It is fun to hunt for the small sights listed on Kofu City's park map: a "secret" water cistern, a drainage channel, a quarry site, and drawings scratched into the stones. Combine it with the Takeda residence site to see how Kofu changed from the Takeda capital to an Edo-period castle town.

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Open questions

Sources

  1. 1
    甲府城甲府市municipalChecked:
  2. 2
    山梨県の都市公園(舞鶴城公園)山梨県municipalChecked:
  3. 3
    甲府城内探検山梨県埋蔵文化財センターmunicipalChecked:
  4. 4
    甲府城の歴史山梨県埋蔵文化財センターmunicipalChecked:
  5. 5
    甲府城へのアクセス山梨県埋蔵文化財センターmunicipalChecked:
  6. 6
    史跡甲府城跡(甲府城研究室)山梨県埋蔵文化財センターmunicipalChecked:
  7. 7
    鉄門(まいぶん用語集)山梨県埋蔵文化財センターmunicipalChecked:
  8. 8
    基礎データ山梨県埋蔵文化財センターmunicipalChecked:
  9. 9
    歴史公園(山手御門)甲府市municipalChecked:
  10. 10
    日本100名城 一覧公益財団法人日本城郭協会jokakuChecked:
  11. 11
    甲府城(補助資料)Wikipedia日本語版otherChecked:
  12. 12
    整備事業山梨県埋蔵文化財センターmunicipalChecked:
  13. 13
    交通アクセス武田神社officialChecked:
  14. 14
    List of Japan's 100 Fine Castles and the Next 100公益財団法人日本城郭協会jokakuChecked:
  15. 15
    Wikipedia「甲府城」Wikipedia日本語版wikipediaChecked:
  16. 16
    Wikidata Q969909WikidatawikidataChecked:

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

Tsutsujigasaki Castle2.5 km · Not yet confirmedYogaisan Castle4.6 km · No keep was builtYashiro Katsuyama Castle7.3 km · Not yet confirmedKoyama Castle9.3 km · No keep recordedUeno Castle11.8 km · Not yet confirmedRenpo Yashiki12.4 km · Not yet confirmed

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