CastleHilltop castle (hirayamajiro)Next 100 Fine Castles No. 146
What makes this castle distinctive
A fort founded by a Southern Court noble was rebuilt by Nobunaga's second son with a three-tiered keep, and its stone base still crowns the hill.
Why?
Tamaru Castle is said to have begun in 1336 as a base for Kitabatake Chikafusa, a noble on the side of the Southern Court. In 1575 Oda Nobukatsu, Nobunaga's second son, who had been adopted as heir to the Kitabatake, rebuilt it with stone walls and a three-tiered keep. A late 16th-century stone castle laid over a medieval stronghold is what makes Tamaru distinctive.[1][2]
In a corner of the main enclosure (honmaru), at the top of a stone stairway.
What to look at
The stone steps, the size of the platform built of natural stones, and the view over the town from the top.
Why it's interesting
This is where Oda Nobukatsu is said to have built his three-tiered keep (tenshu). It burned in 1580, and records say a later keep collapsed in a storm in 1649. Only the platform remains, and you can climb it to look out over the town.[1][2]
Can you see it?
Visible from outsideThe castle grounds are open to walk around.
Around the honmaru, ninomaru and kitanomaru enclosures.
What to look at
How the walls are built from natural stones, stacked largely uncut to fit their shapes.
Why it's interesting
The keep base and the stone walls of the honmaru, ninomaru and kitanomaru survive well along with dry and water-filled moats, and the site is a Mie Prefecture Historic Site. Records from the Edo period, under the Kuno family, show the walls had to be repaired several times after damage and collapses.[1][2]
Can you see it?
Visible from outsideFreely visible from the grounds.
03
Okushoin, a surviving hall from the outer palace
Where
Within the castle grounds (114-1 Tamaru).
What to look at
An Edo-period building in the shoin style of formal residential architecture.
Why it's interesting
In the Edo period the castle's lords, the Kuno family, served as senior retainers of the Kishu domain and lived in Wakayama, visiting Tamaru only now and then. This hall is said to be where the lord lived and slept when he came. In 1991 it was restored on the castle grounds for the first time in about 130 years, and it is a town-designated Cultural Property.[1][3][4][7][10]
Can you see it?
Partly visibleExterior visible. To see inside, contact the Tamaki Town Board of Education.
At a glance for visitors
Nearest station
from JR Tamaru Station
Climb
Some climbing
Time neededEditors' estimate
About an hour to walk the grounds and stop at the memorial hall.
Admission
Free
Hours
8:45–16:30
Access
Open to visitors
The castle grounds are open to walk around. The Next 100 Castles stamp and the castle seal card (the standard version is a free stamp) are at the Murayama Ryohei Memorial Hall on the grounds.
In 1336 Kitabatake Chikafusa, a leading noble of the Southern Court, came to Ise and made Tamaru his base, beginning the family's long connection with Ise. He is thought to have chosen Ise because of Ise Shrine, local supporters of the Southern Court in southern Ise, and the route linking the court at Yoshino with eastern Japan.[8][1]
02
Historical record
A Kitabatake stronghold in southern Ise
Tamaru was taken in 1342 by Niki Yoshinaga, the shogunate-appointed military governor of Ise, but the Kitabatake later recovered it. In the Muromachi period it was the family's most important base after their home at Tage (now Misugi in Tsu), held by the Tamaru branch of the family. In the 16th century the castle even had a garden, and the court noble Yamashina Tokitsugu was entertained here on a pilgrimage to Ise.[2][1]
03
Historical record
Nobunaga's son builds in stone
Oda Nobunaga invaded Ise and in 1569 made peace by having the Kitabatake adopt his second son, Chasenmaru, later Oda Nobukatsu. After taking over the family, Nobukatsu rebuilt Tamaru in 1575 as a castle with stone walls and a three-tiered keep, making it his base for ruling southern Ise. In 1580, however, it was set on fire, and Nobukatsu moved to Matsugashima Castle in today's Matsusaka.[1][2]
04
Historical record
Many lords, then a Kishu outpost
The castle then passed through several lords: Tamaru Naomasa, the Inaba family and the Todo family. Inaba Michito, who took over in 1600, is said to have moved buildings and stonework from Iwade Castle to rebuild Tamaru. In 1619 the area became part of the Kishu domain based in Wakayama, and the Kuno family, its senior retainers, held the castle for nine generations until the Meiji Restoration.[1][2]
05
Historical record
Buildings gone, walls and moats remain
Records say the keep collapsed in a storm in 1649 and it was never rebuilt. In 1871 every castle building, gates included, was torn down. Today the keep base, the stone walls of the honmaru, ninomaru and kitanomaru, and dry and water moats survive, and the town hall and a junior high school stand within the old castle area.[1][2][10]
06
Historical record
A gift from a newspaper founder
Murayama Ryohei, a Tamaru native who founded the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, bought the castle site from the state in 1928 and donated it to the town of Tamaru as a park. It became a Mie Prefecture Historic Site in 1953 and was chosen for the Next 100 Fine Castles of Japan in 2017. The Murayama Ryohei Memorial Hall on the grounds displays materials on the castle.[6][3][4][7]
Oda Nobukatsu built a three-tiered keep in 1575 that burned in 1580; records say a later keep collapsed in 1649. Only the base remains.
The site today
Now a public park, with the town hall, a junior high school and the Murayama Ryohei Memorial Hall inside the castle area. The keep base, stone walls and moats remain.
Original, relocatedTamaki Town Tangible Cultural Property
Okushoin of the former third-enclosure palace
Edo-period building returned to and restored on the castle grounds in 1991 after about 130 years away. Interior by inquiry.[3][4][7][10]
Original, relocatedTamaki Town Tangible Cultural Property
Fujimi Gate
One of eight gates still standing when the castle was abandoned, said to keep its mid-Edo form. Listed at 114-1 Tamaru, the castle site.[3][7]
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)
Keep lostthe castle had a keep, but it no longer stands (its stone base may remain)Editorial article
Built by
Kitabatake Chikafusa, Kitabatake AkinobuJapan Castle Foundation
Built
1336Japan Castle Foundation
Main lords
Oda clan, Inaba clan, Kuno clan, Kitabatake clanJapan Castle Foundation
Remains to see
Moats, Stone walls, Gates, Baileys / enclosures (kuruwa), Keep base (tenshudai)Editorial article
Designation
Mie Prefecture Historic Site (Tamaru Castle ruins) (1953); Tamaki Town Tangible Cultural Properties (Okushoin and Fujimi Gate) (1994)Editorial article
Selection
Next 100 Fine Castles No. 146Japan Castle Foundation
Visiting
Access
Open to visitors
The castle grounds are open to walk around. The Next 100 Castles stamp and the castle seal card (the standard version is a free stamp) are at the Murayama Ryohei Memorial Hall on the grounds.
About 5 minutes from Tamaki IC on the Ise Expressway. Parking at the Murayama Ryohei Memorial Hall.[7][4]
Checked: 2026-10-03
Grounds opening hours
Not confirmedChecked: 2026-10-03
Time neededEditors' estimate
About an hour to walk the grounds and stop at the memorial hall.
Steps, slopes and footing
A castle on a low hill; stone steps lead up to the keep base.[1]
Wheelchairs and strollers
Not confirmedChecked: 2026-10-03
Toilets and rest
Public toilets in town are shown on the tourism association's toilet and parking map (locations within the castle grounds not confirmed).[11]
English signs / audio guide
The tourism association offers an English leaflet on local shrines; English signage at the castle is not confirmed.[11]
Seasons
Cherry blossoms in spring; hydrangeas and Oga lotus in the inner moat in summer (best in the mornings of early to mid July); autumn leaves; winter illuminations.[4][7]
Photography
Not confirmed
Works, closures and restrictions
None found as of October 3, 2026.Checked: 2026-10-03
A post town on the Ise Hon-kaido road and the starting point of the Kumano Kaido, with the Kuno family temple Daitokuji and old road markers.[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
Good for visitors to Ise Shrine with time for a castle, stone-wall enthusiasts, and anyone following the story of the Kitabatake or Oda Nobukatsu.
What makes it interesting
Climb the keep base to look over the town, then walk along the uncut-stone walls around the main enclosures. The Okushoin hall shows Tamaru's Edo-period role as a castle whose lord rarely visited.
Before you go
Few buildings remain; this is a castle of walls and moats. The stamp and seal card are at the Murayama Ryohei Memorial Hall (8:45–16:30), so mind the time.
Ways to enjoy it
A castle to enjoy with the seasons; in early July, go in the morning to see the Oga lotus in the inner moat. Pairing it with the Tage Kitabatake site in Misugi, Tsu, connects the family's two main bases.
Photos
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Open questions
Mie Prefecture names Niki Yoshinaga, the military governor of Ise, as the one who took the castle in 1342; some sources credit Ashikaga Takauji.
The story that Inaba Michito moved buildings and stonework from Iwade Castle is tradition, and there is no record of how much Tamaru Naomasa rebuilt after the fire.
Walking time from Tamaru Station, park hours, toilet locations in the grounds and viewing conditions for Fujimi Gate could not be confirmed.
HikaruKinkakujiCC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons
