CastleHilltop castle (hirayamajiro)Japan's 100 Fine Castles No. 33
What makes this castle distinctive
An original castle keep that collapsed with its stone base in an earthquake, then was put back together using more than 70 percent of its old timbers.
Why?
Maruoka's keep fell, stone base and all, in the 1948 Fukui Earthquake. Local people wanted it back, donations came from across Japan, and using records from a pre-war dismantling repair, it was rebuilt by 1955 with more than 70 percent of its main pillars and beams reused. It is one of only 12 castle keeps in Japan surviving from the Edo period or earlier, and the only one in the Hokuriku region.[1][2]
The overlapping grayish stone tiles, and the shachi roof ornaments made of copper over a wooden core.
Why it's interesting
About 20 percent of the roughly 6,000 roof tiles are cut from Shakudani stone, quarried at the foot of Mount Asuwa in Fukui. Each weighs 20–60 kg, and the whole roof weighs about 120 tons. The city's research has also shown that before the stone tiles, the roof was covered with thin wooden shingles (kokera-buki), something not seen on any other surviving keep.[3][4][7][9][16]
Can you see it?
Not visibleDuring repairs from March 2026 to November 2027 (planned), the keep is covered by scaffolding and sheeting, so the roof cannot be seen. The sheeting is printed with a life-size image of the keep.
Two stories outside, three inside, and very steep stairs
Where
Inside the keep.
What to look at
The stairs rising at about 65 and 67 degrees, and the way the first floor carries the floors above.
Why it's interesting
From outside the keep looks two stories high, but inside there are three floors. No pillars run straight through from the first floor to the upper floors; instead, the first floor supports the rest, an old style of construction. The stairs are unusually steep even by castle standards, and you climb holding on to ropes.[4][10][11]
Can you see it?
Partly visibleThe interior opens for set periods during the repairs. In 2026 you can enter from September 19 to November 8 (part of the first floor is fenced off and the windows are blocked); the third floor is closed October 26–30. The keep is closed from November 9 to December 4 (planned).
The roughly 6.2 m base built from unshaped stones, and stones on the south side that appear to be pieces of old memorial towers.
Why it's interesting
Nozura-zumi walls look rough and gappy, but they drain well and are said to hold up in heavy rain. The base collapsed together with the keep in 1948 and was rebuilt along with it.[4][8][11]
Can you see it?
Partly visiblePart of the area around the keep, including the scaffolding, is off limits from August 1, 2026 to November 2027 (planned). Work goes on weekdays from 8:00 to 17:00.
At a glance for visitors
Nearest station
from Maruoka Station (then bus)
Climb
Some climbing
Time neededEditors' estimate
About 45 minutes for the keep and castle hill; allow 1.5 hours if you also visit the Museum of the Shortest Letters.
Admission
Adults 450 yen (360 yen in groups of 30+); elementary and junior high students 150 yen (120 yen in groups). The ticket also covers the Museum of the Shortest Letters. Half price for holders of disability certificates and one helper.
Hours
8:30–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Access
Partly open
The castle hill and Kasumigajo Park are open to walk. Entry to the keep requires a ticket. During the repairs (planned until November 2027), part of the area around the keep is closed, and depending on the period the keep's interior is closed or only partly open. Smoking is banned throughout the castle and park, and flying drones is generally prohibited.
After crushing the Ikko-ikki uprising in Echizen in 1575, Oda Nobunaga put Shibata Katsuie in charge of most of the province. Katsuie gave his nephew Katsutoyo the mountain area of Toyohara to the east, and in 1576 Katsutoyo is said to have moved his base to the present site and built Maruoka Castle, a hilltop castle (hirayamajiro) on a low rise in the plain.[3][2]
02
Historical record
From Shibata Katsutoyo to the Honda and Arima
After Katsutoyo the castle changed hands several times, and in 1613 Honda Narishige became its lord. In 1624 he became an independent daimyo, separate from the Fukui domain, and the Maruoka domain (han) was born. The Honda ruled for four generations and the Arima for eight, until the Meiji era.[2][3]
03
Historical record
When was the keep built?
Because of its old-fashioned style, the keep was long called the oldest surviving keep in Japan. But a comprehensive study by Sakai City in 2015–2018, which examined tree rings and other evidence, found that the present keep was built in the Kan'ei era (1624–1644), under Honda Narishige. The study also found that some board doors were made of hiba cypress from the Tohoku region.[3][7][17]
04
Historical record
Sold off, made a National Treasure, then toppled
In the Meiji era the keep, gates and residences were sold to private buyers, and only the keep was left on the castle hill. Local volunteers pooled their money to buy it back and donated it to the town in 1901. It was designated a National Treasure in 1934 and taken apart and repaired in 1940–1942. Then, in June 1948, the Fukui Earthquake brought the keep down together with its stone base.[2][3]
05
Historical record
The "miracle restoration"
So soon after the war, rebuilding seemed almost impossible, but the wishes of the mayor and townspeople reached the national government and donations came in from all over Japan. Because detailed records survived from the repair six years before the quake, the keep was reassembled in 1951–1955 to look just as it had. Since March 2026, a major repair that includes earthquake-proofing has been under way, scheduled to finish in November 2027.[2][9]
Honda Narishige becomes an independent daimyo; the Maruoka domain is founded[2][3]
The keep, bought back by locals, is donated to the town[2][3]
The keep is named a National Treasure (reclassified as an Important Cultural Property in 1950)[3][6]
The Fukui Earthquake topples the keep and its stone base[2]
Restoration completed, reusing over 70% of the timbers[1][2]
A major repair including earthquake-proofing begins (planned to run to November 2027)[9]
Buildings and remains
The keep today
Original keep
One of the 12 original keeps in Japan and the only one in Hokuriku: a two-tier, three-story lookout-style keep. It collapsed in 1948 but was reassembled to its earlier form in 1955 using much of the original timber.
The site today
The keep stands on the castle hill where the main enclosure was, surrounded by Kasumigajo Park. The inner moat was filled in between the Meiji and Showa eras; part of the outer moat survives as a canal in the town.
Main buildings
OriginalImportant Cultural Property
Keep (tenshu)
Dated to the Kan'ei era (1624–1644). Under major repair from March 2026 to November 2027 (planned).[6][7][9]
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)
Original keepthe keep (tenshu) itself survives from before 1868Editorial article
Built by
Shibata KatsutoyoJapan Castle Foundation
Built
1576Japan Castle Foundation
Main lords
Shibata clan, Yasui family, Aoyama clan, Honda clanJapan Castle Foundation
Abandoned
1871Wikipedia (ja)
Remains to see
Gates, Stone walls, Keep base (tenshudai), MoatsEditorial article
Designation
Important Cultural Property (Maruoka Castle keep) (1934)Editorial article
Selection
Japan's 100 Fine Castles No. 33Japan Castle Foundation
Visiting
Access
Partly open
The castle hill and Kasumigajo Park are open to walk. Entry to the keep requires a ticket. During the repairs (planned until November 2027), part of the area around the keep is closed, and depending on the period the keep's interior is closed or only partly open. Smoking is banned throughout the castle and park, and flying drones is generally prohibited.
Take a bus from the stop near the station to Maruoka Castle. About 30 minutes in total from Fukui Station via Maruoka Station.[5]
Checked: 2026-10-03
Awara-Onsen Station (by bus)Hokuriku Shinkansen and others
Some climbing
About 20 minutes by Keifuku Bus. From Fukui Station, about 60 minutes by Keifuku Bus or 30 minutes by taxi.[5]
Checked: 2026-10-03
Hours and admission
Maruoka Castle keep
Hours
8:30–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Closed
Open every day, but closed during parts of the repair work (November 9 – December 4, 2026, planned)
Admission
Adults 450 yen (360 yen in groups of 30+); elementary and junior high students 150 yen (120 yen in groups). The ticket also covers the Museum of the Shortest Letters. Half price for holders of disability certificates and one helper.[4][10]
Checked: 2026-10-03
By car / parking
About 10 minutes on local roads from Maruoka IC on the Hokuriku Expressway. Maruoka Castle parking (40 cars) and the north lot of the Museum of the Shortest Letters (140 cars, 4 buses); both open 6:30–20:00 and free.[5]
Checked: 2026-10-03
Grounds opening hours
Not confirmedChecked: 2026-10-03
Time neededEditors' estimate
About 45 minutes for the keep and castle hill; allow 1.5 hours if you also visit the Museum of the Shortest Letters.
Steps, slopes and footing
Steps lead up the castle hill to the keep, and the stairs inside the keep are extremely steep, at 65–67 degrees.[4]
Wheelchairs and strollers
The keep is not wheelchair accessible. Wheelchairs can be borrowed at the Maruoka Castle Machiyori Market visitor center.[4]Checked: 2026-10-03
Toilets and rest
None inside the keep; there are toilets in the Maruoka Castle Machiyori Market visitor center.[4]
English signs / audio guide
The official site has English pages, including notices about openings during the repairs. English signage inside the keep is not confirmed.[12][13]
Seasons
The Maruoka Castle Cherry Blossom Festival runs from late March to mid-April, with the blossoms lit up at night. Every October the Maruoka Old Castle Festival brings a samurai procession and group dancing to the castle town (with traffic restrictions in 2026).[8][14]
Photography
Photography is allowed. Commercial filming requires prior consultation with the Maruoka Castle management office. Drone flights and drone filming are generally prohibited.[4]
Works, closures and restrictions
Major repair of the keep (March 2026 – November 2027, planned). In 2026 the keep's interior is open September 19 – November 8 (part of the first floor fenced off, windows blocked, third floor closed October 26–30) and closed November 9 – December 4 (planned). Construction vehicles and cranes operate on weekdays. Schedules may change, so check Sakai City's notices before you go. Bookings for volunteer guides are currently suspended.[9][10][11][4]Checked: 2026-10-03
A museum inspired by the famously short letter Honda Shigetsugu sent his wife from the battlefield, showing winning entries from a national short-letter contest. Open 9:00–17:00; closed over the New Year. Included in the castle ticket (200 yen for adults on its own).[15][4]
Visitor center next to the castle with a rest area, luggage storage, toilets and wheelchair loans. It also displays the stone shachi made for the keep when copper was scarce during the war. Open 8:30–17:00; closed over the New Year.[15][4][8]
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 see a genuine Edo-period keep, people interested in timber construction and repair techniques, and cherry blossom lovers.
What makes it interesting
If you can go inside, look closely at the thick pillars and beams. Many are Edo-period timbers that were reassembled after the earthquake, and you can still see where joints were repaired. The steep stairs and the old structure, with the first floor carrying the rest, are something you feel as you climb.
Before you go
The keep is under repair until November 2027 (planned). The outside is hidden by scaffolding and sheeting, and there are periods when you cannot go inside. Always check the opening schedule on Sakai City's and the castle's official sites before visiting. There are no toilets in the keep.
Ways to enjoy it
During the works, compare the life-size exterior and cross-section of the keep printed on the scaffolding sheets, a sight you can only see now. Visit the Museum of the Shortest Letters on the same ticket and learn how the famous "don't make O-Sen cry" letter connects to Honda Narishige, the first domain lord, before looking at the keep.
Photos
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Open questions
Sakai City's research dates the keep to the Kan'ei era (1624–1644). Secondary sources give 1624 or 1628, so the exact year is not settled. The old label "oldest surviving keep" was revised as a result of this research.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs description still carries an older statement that the keep dates from the castle's founding.
The name Kasumigajo ("Mist Castle") is said to come from a legend of a giant serpent that breathed mist to hide the castle during a battle (secondary source); the official site links it to the way cherry blossoms surround the castle like mist.
Opening schedules during the repairs may change. Park opening hours could not be confirmed.
baku13CC BY-SA 2.1 jpWikimedia Commons
