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Tokushima · Tokushima

Tokushima Castle

徳島城

Tokushima, Tokushima

CastleHilltop castle (hirayamajiro)Japan's 100 Fine Castles No. 78

What makes this castle distinctive

Not a single original building survives, but walls of local blue-green stone, aoishi, still show the shape of the castle.

Why?

Tokushima Castle's walls are built of crystalline schist quarried locally, known as aoishi or blue stone. The city's castle museum describes it as a castle with no buildings but superb stone walls and a garden. You can compare walls from different periods, from the rough stacking of the 1580s to later Edo-period work.^[2][6]

Three things not to miss

Blue-stone walls and the oldest stacking east of the main enclosure

Where: Shiroyama hill (east side of the main enclosure) and the walls along the moat
What to look at: The flat, bluish slabs and how they are stacked; and east of the main enclosure, rough walls of unworked stone (nozura-zumi)
Why it's interesting: The rough nozura-zumi walls date from the castle's construction around 1586, and the museum recommends them as a highlight. Because local stone was used, the walls look different in color and shape from the pale granite walls of many other castles.^[2]
Can you see it?: Visible from outsideInside Tokushima Central Park and free to view. Steps lead up Shiroyama.

Former Tokushima Castle Omote-goten Garden

Where: Next to the Tokushima Castle Museum
What to look at: Two gardens, one a dry landscape garden and one with a pond; large blue stones; and a blue-stone bridge in the dry garden that is split in the middle
Why it's interesting: This was the garden of the lord's living quarters and formal hall, and the city attributes it to Ueda Soko, a warlord and tea master. It became a National Place of Scenic Beauty in 1941. A story says the first lord split the stone bridge by stamping in anger, but the museum says it is not historical fact.^[4][2]
Can you see it?: Visible from outsideAdmission 50 yen for adults; free with a museum ticket.

Washi-no-Mon, the rebuilt main gate

Where: The southeast of the park, by Washi-no-Mon Square
What to look at: A gate in the yakuimon style
Why it's interesting: This was the castle's main gate. It survived the Meiji-era demolitions but burned in the 1945 Tokushima air raid, and was rebuilt in 1989 for the city's 100th anniversary. Tradition says it got its name because the site was registered as an eagle-keeping facility to make permission from the shogunate easier.^[4]
Can you see it?: Visible from outsideFree to view from outside.

At a glance for visitors

Nearest station: 10 min walk from JR Tokushima Station
Climb: Some climbing
Time neededEditors' estimate: About 1 hour for the walls and garden; about 2 hours with the museum.
Admission: Regular exhibits: adults 300 yen, high school and university students 200 yen, free for junior high and younger (groups of 20+: 240 / 160 yen). Special exhibitions: adults 500 yen.
Hours: 9:30–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Access: Open to visitors
Tokushima Central Park is free to enter. The museum and the Omote-goten garden charge admission (the garden is free with a museum ticket).

Checked: 2026-10-03

View on map Open in Google Maps Tokushima Castle Museum Tokushima Central Park (Tokushima City)

The story of this castle

Historical record

A small hill between rivers

In 1585, after Toyotomi Hideyoshi's campaign in Shikoku, Hachisuka Iemasa became lord of Awa and immediately began building a castle on Iyama, today's Shiroyama. The site was chosen by Hideyoshi himself; a letter from him says Iyama would be a good place for Iemasa's castle. The castle used the Sukenito and Terashima rivers as moats.^[2]

Historical record

Built by Hachisuka Iemasa

On Hideyoshi's orders the castle was built with help from Kobayakawa Takakage, Chosokabe Motochika and monks from Mt. Hiei, and it is said to have been finished in 1586. Iemasa also renamed the area, then called Inotsu, as Tokushima, and gathered merchants to build a castle town at the same time.^[2][3]

Historical record

Seat of a 257,000-koku domain

In the Edo period Tokushima Castle was the home and government seat of the Hachisuka family, who ruled the two provinces of Awa and Awaji, worth 257,000 koku. Enclosures (kuruwa) such as the main enclosure sat on top of Shiroyama, and at its foot stood the Omote-goten, the lord's residence and offices.^[2][6]

Historical record

Buildings gone, walls and garden remain

In the early Meiji era the keep and other buildings were torn down, and almost nothing remains. A photograph taken around 1872 is the only known photo of the castle before demolition. Washi-no-Mon, which had survived, burned in the 1945 air raid. Parts of the stone walls and moats, and the Omote-goten garden, survive.^[2][3][4]

Historical record

Tokushima Central Park and national designation

The castle site became a park in 1906 and is now Tokushima Central Park. Washi-no-Mon was rebuilt in 1989, and with the opening of the Tokushima Castle Museum the grounds were developed as a castle park. On January 26, 2006, the castle ruins were designated a National Historic Site.^[4][2]

People of this castle

Builder of the castle, lord of Awa

Hachisuka Iemasa

蜂須賀家政

1558–1639

Son of Hachisuka Masakatsu. He became lord of Awa in 1585 and built Tokushima Castle on Iyama (Shiroyama), the site chosen by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He is regarded as the founder of the Tokushima domain.

First lord of the Tokushima domain, linked to the legend of the split stone bridge

Hachisuka Yoshishige

蜂須賀至鎮

1586–1620

Son of Hachisuka Iemasa and the first lord of the Tokushima domain. He married an adopted daughter of Tokugawa Ieyasu and died young.

Lord

Hachisuka clan

蜂須賀氏

Timeline

1585
Hachisuka Iemasa becomes lord of Awa and begins building on Iyama^[2]
1586
The castle is said to be completed^[2]
1872
around
The only known photo of the castle before demolition is taken^[3]
1906
The site becomes a park (today's Tokushima Central Park)^[4]
1945
Washi-no-Mon burns in the Tokushima air raid^[4]
1989
Washi-no-Mon is rebuilt^[4]
2006
Tokushima Castle ruins designated a National Historic Site^[4][2]

Buildings and remains

The keep today

Keep lost

The keep and other buildings were torn down in the early Meiji era and have not been rebuilt.

The site today

The site is Tokushima Central Park (free), with stone walls on Shiroyama, part of the moats, the Omote-goten garden and the Tokushima Castle Museum. It lies just northeast of JR Tokushima Station.

Main buildings

Modern reconstruction

Washi-no-Mon (main gate)

The main gate (yakuimon style). Burned in 1945, rebuilt in 1989.^[4]

Lost

Keep (tenshu)

Torn down in the early Meiji era. A photo from around 1872 shows its roof on the hilltop.^[3]

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: Hachisuka IemasaJapan Castle Foundation
Built: 1586Japan Castle Foundation
Main lords: Hachisuka clanJapan Castle Foundation
Abandoned: 1869Wikipedia (ja)
Remains to see: Stone walls, Moats, Gates, Baileys / enclosures (kuruwa), Fortified gateways (koguchi)Editorial article
Designation: National Historic Site (Tokushima Castle ruins) (2006); Place of Scenic Beauty (Former Tokushima Castle Omote-goten Garden) (1941)Editorial article
Selection: Japan's 100 Fine Castles No. 78Japan Castle Foundation

Visiting

Access

Open to visitors

Tokushima Central Park is free to enter. The museum and the Omote-goten garden charge admission (the garden is free with a museum ticket).

Address

1-8 Jonai, Tokushima-cho, Tokushima 770-0851 (Tokushima Castle Museum)^[1]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Nearest stations and how to get there

JR Tokushima StationJR Kotoku, Tokushima and Mugi lines

about 10 min walk · Some climbing

About 10 minutes' walk from the station to the museum and park, or 5 minutes from the city bus stop "Tokushima Koen Washinomon-mae". Steps lead up Shiroyama.^[1][4]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Hours and admission

Tokushima Castle Museum

Hours: 9:30–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Closed: Mondays (open on holidays), the day after a holiday (open if that is a weekend or holiday), December 28–January 2, and days for fumigation or exhibition preparation
Admission: Regular exhibits: adults 300 yen, high school and university students 200 yen, free for junior high and younger (groups of 20+: 240 / 160 yen). Special exhibitions: adults 500 yen.^[1]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Former Tokushima Castle Omote-goten Garden

Hours: 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Closed: Mondays (open on holidays), the day after a holiday (open if Sunday or a holiday), December 28–January 4
Admission: Adults 50 yen, children 30 yen; free for museum visitors^[4][1]

Checked: 2026-10-03

By car / parking

East lot (89 cars) and west/south lot (116 cars) at Tokushima Central Park; 310 yen per car per visit. About 10 minutes from Tokushima IC.^[4]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Grounds opening hours

Not confirmed (no park hours listed officially)Checked: 2026-10-03

Time neededEditors' estimate

About 1 hour for the walls and garden; about 2 hours with the museum.

Steps, slopes and footing

The park at the foot is flat; steps lead up to the main enclosure on Shiroyama.^[2]

Wheelchairs and strollers

Park lots have wheelchair-accessible spaces, and parking is free for cars used by holders of disability certificates. Museum entry is free for certificate holders and one caregiver.^[4][1]Checked: 2026-10-03

Toilets and rest

Five toilets in the park, including multipurpose toilets.^[4]

English signs / audio guide

Not confirmed. Volunteer guides are available in the museum (languages not confirmed).^[1]

Seasons

The rose garden on the east side of the park is best from mid-May to early June and in October.^[4]

Photography

The museum has rules for cosplay photography; other rules are not confirmed.^[1]

Works, closures and restrictions

The museum is closed October 8–9 and November 25, 2026, to prepare exhibitions. The autumn special exhibition runs October 10–November 23, when adult admission is 500 yen.^[1]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 gardens, and for anyone looking for a castle within walking distance of the station.

What makes it interesting

With no buildings left, focus on the color and stacking of the walls. Compare the rough walls east of the main enclosure with the big blue stones in the Omote-goten garden to see how local stone was used.

Before you go

No keep or turrets survive, and Washi-no-Mon is a 1989 reconstruction. The museum closes on Mondays and on exhibition-preparation days such as October 8–9.

Ways to enjoy it

A museum ticket also covers the Omote-goten garden, so start in the museum to learn what the castle looked like, then walk the garden and walls. The walls are said to look bluer on rainy days. On weekends and holidays, volunteers serve tea to museum visitors (small fee).

Photos

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Open questions

Completion in 1586 is the traditionally given date.
The museum describes the legend of the split stone bridge as invented, not historical.
The origin of the name Washi-no-Mon is based on tradition.
The idea that the walls look bluer in rain comes from Wikipedia. Park hours and English guidance could not be confirmed.