Tanaka Castle

One day recently, I took the train to Nishiyaizu Station and walked to Tanaka Castle. The English signage was minimal, but the admission was free so you can't complain.  Actually, it was much better than I anticipated.

From the JCastle website:

The history of Tanaka Castle begins with a fortification built by the Isshiki family under the orders of the Imagawa around 1537. The moats and modern castle fortifications were built after Takeda Shingen conquered the area in 1570. After the fall of the Takeda, the castle came under the control of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Ieyasu liked to use Tanaka Castle as a getaway when he was in nearby Sunpu castle. In particular, he used it for hawking. Through the Edo Period, Tanaka Castle saw a succession of of fudai daimyo (hereditary vassals of the Tokugawa) move into the castle. The castle was mostly dismantled and destroyed during the Meiji Restoration. Some of the buildings were sold to individuals and survived until the villa garden and park were restored in 1992.

Footman's House with Stable

Tea House

There was a couple getting wedding photos taken at the castle.

The Garden

The Back Gate

Tanaka Castle Turret

There isn't a sign, but you just know that this is a shoes off building.

First Floor

Steep Stairs

Second Floor

Views from the top

Then, back to the train station.

If you are interested in Japanese Castles, you can find links to other castle visits I've made on my Japanese Castle page.