I never shut up about Japan’s “original” castles, and for good reason. Whether or not you’re a fan of Shogun, exploring these 12 incredible structures will take you back in time.
The most popular (and easy to visit) castles on this list include Himeji Castle, which is near Kyoto and Osaka, and Matsumoto Castle in the Japanese Alps. Others are more difficult to incorporate into your trip (though to me this just makes them more thrilling to see!).
I’m thinking in particular about Maruoka Castle, which is ostensibly near Kanazawa, though getting there requires a bit of leg work. I hope you’ll continue reading—and that I can motivate you to follow in my footsteps.
How to Visit Maruoka Castle
How to get to Maruoka Castle is simple, but also complicated. If you look at a map of Japan’s Hokuriku region, you’ll notice that the castle is close to cities like Kanazawa and Fukui, which are both served by the Shinkansen. While you can theoretically take a local train from there to Maruoka Station, the castle is a 30-minute walk (or a ride on an infrequent bus) from there. As a result, I usually think rental car is the best way to reach Maruoka Castle.
If you’re smart, of course, you’ll use your set of wheels as motivation to explore. There aren’t any casinos in Fukui prefecture, though you can visit this article if you want to play online during your trip to Japan. However, you can still hit the tourism jackpot in this underrated part of Japan, whether you trek through the forests around Eihei-ji temple, or say at prayer at the massive Echizen Daibutsu in Katsuyama.
5 Tips for Your Maruoka Castle Trip
Go in spring or autumn
Japan is a 365-day-per-year destination—I remain firm in my belief of this fact. At the same time, the grounds of Maruoka Castle are absolutely overflowing with both cherry and maple trees. As a result, visiting around either April 1 or December 1 guarantees that you’ll see the castle amid beauty so profound you’ll want to gloat about it on social media.
Scale the castle’s stairs
One of the reasons I wrote my own Maruoka Castle guide? Most of the others I found online didn’t explain what to do once you reached the castle. For starters, I recommend walking up the stairs to the castle, which is perched on a hill high above the rest of the town. It’s beautiful from ground level, but it’s also worth seeing more up-close, just trust me!
(And venture inside)
Unlike the tenshu of more popular castles in Himeji and Osaka, the one in Maruoka is just one room—it’s delightfully small. As a result, you can take your time not only enjoying the panoramic views of the countryside all around, but exploring the details of the keep itself. It’ll make you glad that this was one of the castles spared during the Meiji Restoration!
See it from different angles
The best Maruoka Castle photography is the most eclectic. These people not only see the castle from the parking lot (or look out from the castle to photograph the town around it), but take their time framing the castle in various contexts around it. This is another reason that renting a car (and thereby minimizing the amount of time you need to waste on public transport) is such a good idea.
Explore the rest of Fukui prefecture
Although the recent Shinkansen extension has started to change this, Fukui remains one of Japan’s most underrated prefectures. While I’m personally agnostic about most of the coastal regions (such as the Tojinbo Cliffs), I find Eihei-ji to be one of Japan’s most impressive temples. Additionally, the small town of Obama is definitely worth visiting, even if you’re a Republican. (Yes, I am a political junkie—sue me!).
Is Maruoka Castle Worth Visiting?
Maruoka Castle is one of the smallest of Japan’s original 12 castles. Only two are smaller—tiny Inuyama Castle north of Nagoya in Aichi prefecture and even smaller Uwajima Castle in Ehime prefecture on Shikoku island. In spite of this, I feel that it’s one of the most atmospheric castles in Japan, with a tenshu that tends to have very few tourists outside of peak seasons in spring and autumn.
As I explained a few paragraphs up, you can sweeten a Maruoka Castle day trip by exploring the rest of Fukui prefecture, particularly if you decide to rent a car. If you’re here during a warmer part of the year, follow my above advice and visit Eihei-ji and the Echizen Daibutsu. Coming in winter? Consider warming up at Kaga Onsen, one of Japan’s most underrated hot springs resorts.
Other FAQ About Visiting Maruoka Castle
How do I get to Maruoka Castle?
While you can technically get to Maruoka Castle by public transport, its relatively far distance from the nearest station (Maruoka Station) makes this impractical for most travelers. Instead, I usually recommend renting a car in Kanazawa or Fukui, and adding nearby destinations to your day trip itinerary to make it worth your while.
Are there any original Japanese castles?
Just 12 of the castles that currently stand in Japan (and there are hundreds) have tenshu, or keeps, that were not destroyed during the Meiji Restoration. These include popular castles like Himeji Castle in the Kansai region and Matsumoto Castle in the Japanese Alps, as well as smaller castles like Aichi’s Inuyama Castle and Maruoka Castle near Kanazawa.
Why were Japanese castles destroyed?
One of the central tenets of the Meiji Restoration period of Japan’s history, which took place from 1868-1899, was the deliberate destruction of structures and ideas associated with previous ruling elites. Think of it as Japan’s answer to China’s cultural revolution! Needless to say, castles were in many ways the ultimate ruling elite symbol.
The Bottom Line
Maruoka Castle can be a pain to reach, but trust me: It’s worth it. Part of this is because of how out-of-the-way it is. There aren’t a lot of tourists (and almost no foreign ones), which means you can often feel like you have the castle to yourself. Another part, of course, relates to the objective excellence of the 17th-century structure, one of just 12 remaining “original” castles in Japan. Maruoka-jo is especially amazing if you can manage to visit in spring or awesome, but is beautiful in all months of the year. Another way to maximize your enjoyment? Hire me to plan your trip to Japan!
