CastleMountain castle (yamajiro)Next 100 Fine Castles No. 168
What makes this castle distinctive
The stone walls on the summit still lie the way people tore them down when the castle was abandoned on shogunate orders over 400 years ago.
Why?
In 1617, after Ikeda Mitsumasa took over Tottori, Wakasa Oniga Castle was closed under the shogunate's "one province, one castle" rule. Its stone walls were deliberately pulled down, and they still lie that way on the summit. The national government values the site as a real example of how castles were dismantled under that rule.[1][2]
Around the main, second and third enclosures on the summit, and at the Ote-mon (main gate) site
What to look at
Corners and upper courses of the walls pulled away, with large stones tumbled down the slope
Why it's interesting
In the early Edo period, the shogunate ordered daimyo (feudal lords) to reduce their castles. Wakasa Oniga Castle was abandoned in 1617, and the walls that people broke apart then have been left untouched. The rubble is not just ruin: it is a record of how a castle was officially decommissioned.[1][2][3]
Can you see it?
Visible from outsideThe summit area is open to walk around, but snow makes it inaccessible in winter. Do not climb on the walls.
The tenshu base in the main enclosure (honmaru); the town of Wakasa from the third enclosure (sannomaru)
What to look at
The roads branching off along the valleys toward Tajima (northern Hyogo) and Harima (southern Hyogo), and the old post town of Wakasa below
Why it's interesting
Mt. Tsurunoo rises where roads from Inaba (eastern Tottori) split toward Harima and Tajima. Standing on the tenshu base, you can see why a castle was built here and why the Amago, Mori and Oda forces fought over it.[1][4]
Can you see it?
Visible from outsideThe tenshu base is a bare stone platform on the summit; no building stands there.
The gateways (koguchi) of the summit area, and the Rokkaku wall on the descent path
What to look at
Entrances where the path is forced to turn inside stone-walled boxes, and a wall built with many angled corners
Why it's interesting
The summit was rebuilt as a stone-walled castle under the Kinoshita and Yamazaki lords, and the national government notes its size and complex layout. Tottori City's tourism site points to features such as the "Rokabashi koguchi" (covered-bridge gateway) that are not seen at other castles.[2][3][5]
Can you see it?
Visible from outsideLocations are marked on the town's walking map. The descent path to the Rokkaku wall is steep.
At a glance for visitors
Nearest station
50 min walk from Wakasa Station
Climb
Steep climb
Time neededEditors' estimate
Allow 2–3 hours for the round trip on foot from town, or about an hour on the summit if you drive up to the Baba area.
Access
Open to visitors
The site is open to walk, but snow closes it in winter and can linger after April. An electric fence keeps out wild animals; open the hook to enter (no current runs during the day). The trail to the summit is unpaved with about 200 m of climb.
Wakasa Oniga Castle stood on Mt. Tsurunoo (452 m), which rises south of the Wakasa post town. Roads from Inaba split here toward Harima and Tajima, so the castle guarded the eastern gateway into Inaba.[1][2]
02
Scholarly interpretation
Home of the local Yabe family
No one knows exactly when the castle was built. It is thought to have been founded in the Middle Ages by the Yabe family, who came to the area in the Kamakura period. The Wakasa tourism association relates a tradition that the Yabe opened the castle in 1200. The name "Onigajo" first appears in written records in 1575.[1][2][4]
03
Historical record
Fought over, then rebuilt in stone
In the Sengoku (Warring States) period, the Amago, Mori and Oda forces fought hard over the castle. After Hashiba (later Toyotomi) Hideyoshi took Tottori Castle in 1581, Kinoshita Shigekata became lord here, and after the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 Yamazaki Iemori took over. The stone-walled summit, centered on the main enclosure, was built up during the Kinoshita and Yamazaki years.[1][2]
04
Historical record
Closed by the one-castle rule
In 1617, when Ikeda Mitsumasa entered Tottori Castle as lord of Inaba and Hoki, Wakasa Oniga Castle was closed under the "one province, one castle" rule. Its walls were pulled down by hand and left that way on the mountain. With the castle gone, the town below lived on as a post town on the highway.[1][2]
05
Historical record
National Historic Site
The site has two parts: medieval earthworks on the slopes (trenches cut across and down the ridges, and small enclosures, or kuruwa), and the stone-walled summit. Because it shows how castles changed from the Sengoku period into the early Edo period, it was made a National Historic Site in March 2008. It is also No. 168 on the Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles list.[1][2][6][7]
Named No. 168 of the Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles[6][7]
Buildings and remains
The keep today
Not yet confirmed
A tenshu base survives in the main enclosure, but we could not confirm whether a keep actually stood on it or what it looked like (the Japan Castle Association lists the keep as "-").
The site today
No buildings remain; the whole mountain is the castle site. Stone-walled enclosures survive on the summit and medieval trenches on the slopes. A forest road leads by car to the Baba area just below the summit.
Main buildings
Site only
Tenshu base
Stone platform in the main enclosure; nothing stands on it.[1][3]
Site only
Stone walls of the main, second and third enclosures
Left as they were after being torn down when the castle closed.[1][2]
Key facts
Type
Castle
Setting
Mountain castle (yamajiro)built on a mountain; expect a climbEditorial article
Period
Medieval (c.1185–1570s), Early modern (1570s–1871)Editorial article
Keep (tenshu)
Not yet confirmedwhether a keep existed is still being checkedEditorial article
Baileys / enclosures (kuruwa), Stone walls, Fortified gateways (koguchi), Vertical moats (tatebori), Turrets or turret bases, Keep base (tenshudai), MoatsEditorial article
Designation
National Historic Site (Wakasa Oniga Castle ruins) (2008)Editorial article
Selection
Next 100 Fine Castles No. 168Japan Castle Foundation
Visiting
Access
Open to visitors
The site is open to walk, but snow closes it in winter and can linger after April. An electric fence keeps out wild animals; open the hook to enter (no current runs during the day). The trail to the summit is unpaved with about 200 m of climb.
Wakasa StationWakasa Railway Wakasa Line (terminus)
about 50 min walk · Steep climb
Walk through town from the station to either the Hachiman Hiroba trailhead or the trailhead east of the No. 1 Town Gymnasium. The tourism association says about 40–50 minutes from the station; the town's walking map says about 45 minutes from either trailhead to the summit. The gymnasium-side trail is for climbing up only.[3][4][5]
Checked: 2026-10-04
By car / parking
A forest road leads up to the Baba area near the summit (vehicles must stop there; the last part is unpaved). Free parking for about 5 cars. About 15 minutes' drive from Wakasa Station, then about 5 minutes on foot to the ruins. The road is narrow, so groups coming by bus should ask the town in advance.[1][3][4]
Checked: 2026-10-04
Grounds opening hours
No set hours confirmed. Closed by snow in winter.[3]Checked: 2026-10-04
Time neededEditors' estimate
Allow 2–3 hours for the round trip on foot from town, or about an hour on the summit if you drive up to the Baba area.
Steps, slopes and footing
An unpaved mountain trail with about 200 m of climb, steep sections and big steps. Very slippery after rain. Wear hiking clothes and shoes, and watch for bears and pit vipers.[1][3]
Wheelchairs and strollers
This is a mountain castle with no route suited to wheelchairs or strollers (no official guidance found).Checked: 2026-10-04
Toilets and rest
There are no toilets at the castle site. Use the public toilets beforehand at Wakasa Station, Kariya Yokocho, the Wakasa folk crafts hall or beside the town gymnasiums.[3]
English signs / audio guide
English signage on site could not be confirmed.
Seasons
Cherry blossoms in spring and autumn leaves in fall. Inaccessible in winter because of snow.[3][5]
Photography
Not confirmed.
Works, closures and restrictions
According to the 2020 walking map, the Continued Top 100 Castles stamp is kept at the Wakasa tourist information office (Wakasa Station), on the summit outside winter, and at the Wakasa Folk Culture Village in winter only. Check current locations with the tourism association (0858-82-2237). Castle seals (goshuin-style) are sold at the tourist office by the Wakasa Station bus terminal.[1][3]Checked: 2026-10-04
The old castle town that became a post town, with about 300 m of white-walled storehouses on Kura-dori and snow-sheltering eaves along Kariya-dori. Designated a national Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings in 2021. Right by Wakasa Station.[1][9]
A complex including a history and folklore museum in a relocated Meiji-era bank building. The town's walking map says roof tiles excavated at the castle are displayed. Open 9:00–17:00; closed Mondays and over the New Year; free. About 5 minutes by car from Wakasa Station.[3][8]
Checked: 2026-10-04
Editors' guide
An editorial guide based on sources and confirmed information — not a first-hand visit report.
Who will enjoy it
For people who don't mind a mountain walk, fans of stone-walled castles, and anyone curious about what happened when a castle was shut down. By car you can get close to the summit, so even a short visit lets you see the walls.
What makes it interesting
Look closely at which parts of the walls were removed: corners and upper courses are gone, and the stones lie below. Then stand on the tenshu base and look down at the valleys splitting toward Tajima and Harima, and the reason for the castle's location becomes clear.
Before you go
The site is closed by snow in winter. There are no toilets on the summit, so use those in town first. Hiking shoes and clothes are a must if you walk up, and the trail is especially slippery after rain. Trains on the Wakasa Railway are infrequent, so check the return times before you go.
Ways to enjoy it
Combine the climb with a walk through the Wakasa post town and the temples tied to the lords (Saihoji for the Kinoshita, Ryutokuji for the Yamazaki) to see the castle and its town as one. The tourism association also offers paid guided walks starting from the Baba area.
Photos
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Open questions
When the castle was founded is unclear. The claim that the Yabe built it in 1200 is a tradition; the national description only says the Yabe probably built it in the Middle Ages.
Whether a keep actually stood on the tenshu base could not be confirmed.
Stamp locations come from the 2020 walking map; current locations could not be confirmed.
The exact location of the Rokabashi gateway, English signage and photo rules could not be confirmed.
ReggaemanCC BY-SA 3.0Wikimedia Commons
