Castles in Japan: Ogaki Castle

Ogaki Castle is situated 7 minutes by foot from Ogaki Station in Ogaki City, Gifu. This castle had a history of more than 500 years. It was declared as a national pressure in 1936 but was unfortunately reduced to ashes during World War II. After the war, it was reconstructed to what it is now.

Ogaki Castle behind the statue of Toda Ujikane

The castle was previously known as Todaiji Castle but was later renamed after its first chief magistrate. In 1585, Toyotomi Hideyoshi appointed Naosue Ichiyanagi as the chief of the castle and ordered the building of its donjon  (castle tower).

The castle also became an important base for the West Army, headed by Ishida Mitsunari, during the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. When the battle began, houses around the castle were set on fire by the East Army and was said to have continued burning for three days. After Mitsunari was defeated, the castle was besieged. 

Entrace to Ogaki Castle

If you enter the castle premises from the main road, you will immediately see the entrance to the castle. Behind the castle is a large park with a playground for kids. There is also a statue of Toda Ujikane on a horse who became the lord of the castle in 1635. You can enter the castle for Y200. On display are swords and armors used by former samurais.

Castles in Japan: Sunomata Ichiya Castle

Sunomata Castle is found in Ogaki City in Gifu Prefecture. According to legend, this castle is said to have been built overnight under the command of Kinoshita Tokichiro (later known as Toyotomi Hideyoshi) while Oda Nobunaga was pressing the siege of Inabayama Castle in mid-1500s. This is why at present, it is now referred to as Sunomata Ichiya Castle ("Ichiya" meaning "overnight").

View of Sunomata Castle from the bridge

Getting to this castle is a true adventure for me. That morning, I went to Sekigahara to visit the historical sites of the Battle of Sekighara in 1600. Unfortunately, it was raining so hard when I arrived in Sekigahara, which was contrary to the forecast that I checked. I ended up leaving Sekigahara earlier than I planned because it was snowing so hard already and the mountains around the valley are all covered with a thick fog. Read my adventures in Sekigahara here. 

Ogaki is only 12 minutes away by train from Sekigahara so I was so surprised to find the city very sunny when I arrived. When I exited the station, my shoes were wet and my hair looked like a nest of tiny snowflakes. I was so thrilled to see the sun shining so brightly in Ogaki. To reach the castle, I took a bus from Ogaki Station to Sunomata Bus stop. I thought that the bus stop is not very far from the castle as the map I have shows. However, when I got off the bus, the castle was nowhere in sight. I ended up walking  for 30 minutes just to get to the castle. One reason is because I encountered major road blocks because there were construction activities going on on the river banks around the castle.

After making several detours and going the other way around to get to the castle, I almost reached it. I could finally see it! However, some people facilitating the traffic around the construction area told me that I couldn't pass that way because the road was blocked. I could not accept that because I was already so near the castle, I won't accept defeat! So they called their head (who was so good looking he looked like an actor) who came to me and asked my problem. I tried to explain my side in my broken Japanese, telling him all the travails I had to endure to get to this point. I didn't know if he understood what I said or out of his good heart for a foreigner woman and the only tourist in the area that time, he just smiled at me and said "dozo," pointing to a narrow way behind the orange construction lines. I asked him if it was okay to pass by that way and he said it's totally fine. So I thanked him and walked quickly towards the castle before he changed his mind.

As I walked along the bridge towards the castle, I felt so relieved (and victorious). I felt like I have achieved a great victory that day, I was finally entering Sunomata Castle as if I was a general who besieged it.

View from the castle

This side of the castle is lined by Sakura trees in Spring. It would have been a great sight to see. But when I went there, I only saw a line of dry, leafless trees and a construction site in the distance. What is interesting about this castle is that it is surrounded by two parallel rivers. The man in the castle told me the names of the rivers but the names escaped me as of writing.

When I went to the top of the castle, he pointed to the mountains and told  me that I could see Gifu Castle on top of Mt. Kinka from there. True enough, it was there, a tiny shiny dot in the distance. This made my heart jump. See my detailed post about Gifu Castle here. The man even made a joke saying that this castle only took three days to build but all those constructions on the river bend would take three years. I also told him that I went to Sekigahara that morning but it was snowing there but surprisingly it was very sunny in Ogaki. He said that because Sekigahara is surrounded by the mountains, it has a different weather from Ogaki and it's usually colder.

Another unique thing about this castle is that you have to remove your shoes and change into "house slippers." The castle is so homey indeed. 

Access: 20 minute bus ride from Ogaki Station in the JR Tokaido line.

Exploring Gifu Castle

Gifu Castle was built on top of Mt. Kinka in Gifu City, Gifu. Oda Nobunaga, one of the main unifiers of Japan, lived in this castle for 9 years before moving to Azuchi Castle in present day Shiga. The castle originally belonged to Saito Dosan, Nobunaga's father, after he seiged the castle. In 1567, Nobunaga killed Tatsuoki, Dosan's grandson, and claimed the castle for himself. He changed the name from Inabayama Castle to Gifu Castle.

Gifu Castle in all its glory

From the rope way station at the foot of Mt. Kinka in Gifu Park, you can take the gondola up to the top of the mountain. The ride takes only 3 minutes to the top. From the mountain station, you have to hike for 10 more minutes to reach the castle, beautifully perched on the top of the mountain. The climb is worth the hardship and the wait because of the majestic views of Gifu that you can see from the top. When I arrived on top of the castle, there were a lot of old people gathering around. It seemed to me that they didn't take the rope way but actually hiked to the mountain.

path going to the castle

view from the castle

Beside the castle is the small Gifu Castle Museum holding some important samurai swords and armors, ancient texts and other historical resources of the Sengoku Period were held. There are not so  much to see but it is still worth looking at. If you get hungry on top of the mountain, you can go to the restaurant and get a good seat behind its large glass windows. I wanted to have a coffee and rest for a while while looking at the view but I decided not too. If you are after the views, there are other spots where you can have a good panoramic view of the landscape without paying for a meal or a cup of coffee. There is also an observation deck with some benches where you can feel the strong wind pushing you back.  There are also several resting areas where you can sit, grab a bite of your packed bento or onigiri or get a drink from a vending machine resting in a corner.

Gifu Castle Museum

restaurant on top of the mountain

Just beside the rope way station is the squirrel village. It is a small place where you can feed squirrels and carry them on your hands. The entrance fee is only Y200. Just go in and play with the squirrels. I didn't spend so much time here because I was not a big fan of squirrels. I just want to experience feeding them. It was so funny because the very moment I stepped inside, a squirrel jump onto my head and crawled down my shoulders, maybe thinking what a big log I was! The squirrels were nice and not wild. If you reach out your hand to their direction, they would run to your palm and eat the food. It could get a little scary though when a couple of squirrels would run to your hand for food. It appeared like they were going to fight each other but luckily they didn't. 

Squirrel Village

Feed the squirrels

At the foot of the mountain is Gifu Park where you can find Gifu City Museum of History and the ruins of Oda Nobunaga's residence. The area of Nobunaga's residence was also under construction so I only got to see some parts of it. The museum entrance fee only costs Y350. The museum features the history of Gifu from the prehistoric age up to the present. It has on display several ancient relics such as pottery from the Jomon period.

Entrace to the ruins of Oda Nobunaga's residence

What was left of Oda Nobunaga's former residence

At the foot of the mountain, you can also find a traditional Japanese tea house where you can have green tea and wagashi for Y400. Read my experience here: A Traditional Japanese Tea House at the Foot of Kinakazan, Gifu

Castles in Japan: Okazaki Castle

Entrance to Okazaki Castle

Okazaki Castle is situated 30 minutes away from Nagoya by express train. This castle is made famous by stories saying that Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate, was born here.  Ieyasu was born in Okazaki as Takechiyo (later changed to Motoyasu). He was then held as a hostage by the Oda and Imagawa clans for 12 years since he was six years old. When Imagawa Yoshimoto was killed in the Battle of Okehazama, Ieyasu escaped and reurned to Okazaki. After conquering Mikawa, Ieyasu waged war against the Takeda Clan. After Nobunaga's death, he took control of Kai and Shinano.

Do-it-yourself picture

On the top floor of the castle, you can see a panoramic view of the city. You can even watch trains passing by. There is also a do-in-yourself stamp on the top of the castle where you can create your own picture. The kind ojichan on top of the floor taught me how to do it. He event took a picture of me in the samurai standees.

View from the palace

At the foot of the castle tower, you can find a small restaurant and souvenir store run by an old couple. If you get to visit the place, please purchase anything you can to help the old couple running the place. Behind the castle you can find the Okazaki Castle Museum that holds important artifacts about the Sengoku Period and the lords of the castle.

Cafeteria and souvenir shop

Okazaki Castle Museum

Outside the museum, there are also people dressed in Samurai costumes to talk to you and teach you some samurai techniques.