9 Castles in Yamagata worth your time

Explore Tsuruoka Park, site of Tsurugaoka Castle, known for cherry blossoms and historical significance.

What it is

• Former site of Tsurugaoka Castle, abolished in 1871.
• Administrative center of the Shonai Domain during the Edo period.
• Predecessor, Daiboji Castle, built in early Kamakura period.
• Designated a Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles in 2017.

What to see

• Tsuruoka Park, built on the castle site.
• Earthworks and limited stone walls remain.
• A two-story corner turret served as a main keep substitute.
• Shonai Shrine is located within the park.

When to go

• Tsuruoka Park is a cherry blossom viewing spot.

Read more about Tsurugaoka Castle

Explore extensive ruins of a mountain castle, once a retirement home for a powerful samurai.

What it is

• A Japanese castle in Yamagata Prefecture.
• Used as a retirement residence by Date Terumune in 1584.
• Designated as a national historic site.
• Covers an area of approximately 34 hectares.

What to see

• Mountain castle at its core with three attached residences.
• Remains include earthworks.
• Large moats are still visible.
• Stone walls are among the ruins.

Getting there

• About a 15-minute drive from JR Yonezawa Station.

Read more about Tateyama Castle

Explore Kinowanosaku, an ancient castle-fort and National Historic Site, revealing Japan's Nara period history.

What it is

• Ancient Japanese castle-fort in Sakata City.
• Designated a National Historic Site.
• Constructed at the end of the Nara period.
• Likely site of Dewa Province's provincial office.

What to see

• Square outer enclosure, 720 meters per side.
• Central government office area, 115 meters per side.
• Total ruins area is 520,000 square meters.

Getting there

• Accessible by bus from JR Sakata Station.

Official site

www.city.sakata.lg.jp

Read more about Kinowanosaku

Explore the ruins of a 17th-century castle and its shrines, a designated historic site.

What it is

• A Japanese castle, also called Numata Castle and Unuma Castle.
• Built in 1625 by Tozawa Masamori.
• A Shinjō City designated historic site.
• Largely destroyed in 1868.

What to see

• Castle moats drew water from the Sasuno River.
• Tozawa Shrine on the former main enclosure site.
• Tenman Shrine is the only original building remaining.
• Tenman Shrine is a prefectural designated cultural property.

Read more about Shinjō Castle

Explore the historic Matsuyama Castle park, home to Yamagata's only remaining castle gate.

What it is

• A castle site, now Matsuyama Historical Park.
• Construction began in 1781.
• Also known as Dewa Matsuyama Castle.

What to see

• The main gate, rebuilt in 1791.
• Main gate is a Prefectural Cultural Property.
• Earthworks and part of the moats remain.
• The only existing castle architecture in Yamagata Prefecture.

When to go

• Matsuyama Historical Park opened in May 1982.

Read more about Matsuyama Castle

Explore a historic flatland castle, once a government seat, now a park.

What it is

• A designated National Historic Site.
• One of Japan's Top 100 Castles.
• Basic structure built during Mogami Yoshiaki era.
• Served as the seat of government for Yamagata Domain.

What to see

• The castle site, now Kasumi-jo Park.
• A circular flatland castle.
• South Main Gate relocated to Banshoji Temple.
• Hokoin Temple's main hall was a relocated palace study.

Read more about Yamagata Castle

Explore Yonezawa Castle ruins, a historic site where Date Masamune was born, now a beautiful park.

What it is

• A Japanese castle in Yamagata Prefecture.
• Base for the Nagai, Date, and Uesugi clans.
• Founded around 1238.
• Also known as Maizuru Castle.

What to see

• Castle ruins now part of Matsugasaki Park.
• Concentric layout with honmaru, ninomaru, sannomaru.
• Site of 10 turrets and 17 gates.
• Earthworks, few stone walls.
• Site where Date Masamune was born.

Read more about Yonezawa Castle

Explore a reconstructed castle keep housing a local history museum.

What it is

• Also known as Tsukioka Castle.
• Southernmost fortress of the Mogami clan.
• Housed the Ueyama Domain's government.
• Current mock keep rebuilt in 1982.

What to see

• Three-story mock castle keep.
• Local history museum inside the keep.
• Castle ruins are a designated historic site.
• Tsukioka Shrine and Tsukioka Park are on site.

Official site

kaminoyama-castle.info

Read more about Kaminoyama Castle

Explore a mountain castle ruin park, once a key defensive point against the Date clan.

What it is

• A medieval Japanese mountain castle.
• An important branch castle for the Mogami clan.
• Also called "Kame-ga-jō" due to the mountain's shape.
• Demolished in 1622.

What to see

• The entire mountain is now a castle ruin park.
• The castle is on a mountain 229 meters above sea level.

Read more about Hasedō Castle