Searching for Kambara Ruins
I am fascinated by Japanese castles. As I was poking around on google maps, I was surprised to find out that just a few train stations and a hike away from where I live was the Kambara Ruins. I made a plan and thought I could walk from the Shin Kambara train station. I was quite pleased with my google map find. I thought I could find my way with the map on my gadget! I walked along and passed under the expressway. The roads I saw on the map didn't match up with the roads in front of me, so I checked the map again. This is what I saw!
The map didn't know where was! I didn't know where I was either. I started along this road, but it was going sharply downhill and into a tunnel, when I knew I should be going uphill.
I turned around and went in the uphill direction, even though the path didn't look like the map. I saw some interesting things along the way.
This strange road came to a stop.
As I got higher, I had some very nice views.
Aha! The map found me.
I finally saw this sign. I was sure this was where I wanted to go, but still wasn't sure how to get there.
An uphill path through the woods was next.
I walked and walked and followed this path to the shrine. It looked like it had recently been mowed, but otherwise was pretty lonely looking.
I felt sure I was very close to the ruins, but I couldn't find a way to go beyond the shrine. It was like a jungle and I couldn't see a way to continue. There was no opening or path.
After walking around and failing to find a way to continue to the castle ruins, I had to turn away and go back down. I plan to come back in the winter when the jungle has died back. There are so many adventures in Japan, but sometimes I get totally lost.
7 comments:
Looks like you had an interesting day out even if you didn't get to the ruins.
What a disappointment! You got some good exercise though.
Here is a link to a site Japanese site with a topographical map (scroll down a bit) that you can zoom in on.
There is also a photo of the same structure you took a photo of, behind the new tori gate.
https://kojodan.jp/castle/946/
The stone monument on the left of the white Torii says“Kanbara Castle Ruins”. In other words,you got lost up the jungle-line voad,but you have arrived at the “Kanbara Castle Ruins”properly.
The hike is a success!!.🙌
The map of the whole mountain is a bird's eye view. You went to the top of the map.
There is a white Torii gate and a small shrine on the ruins of the Castle. There are several types of shrine. I think it's Hachiman-shrine,but I'm not sure.
There seems to be a memorial monument,so it may be a shrine dedicated to the person who died when there was a samurai.
It may be a monument for those who died in war. there is also the idea that the mountain itself is a Japanese God,so it may be a small shrine for that purpose.
It's a pity that it hasn't been well maintained.🏯
I'm glad you are a good walker because it sure looks like you might have been walking extra that day! Lovely views, but alas, no castle!
You had a great adventure! Since I was a child,I know "Kambara Castle Ruins" well.My brother found fossil of shell on the route. Kambara Castle Ruins is almost left now.
It seems like a day when the journey was more important than the destination. You saw lots of interesting things along the way, and had a day of activity.
What an interesting adventure - and if toki is right, it was a success as well!
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