Kyoto has a lot of famous sights, mainly temples and shrines, but sometimes you just want to get away from that and see something else.
But where to go? From Kyoto your day trip options are endless.
As part of a day trip itinerary you could visit Shoryuji Castle which I’ll introduce today.
Access to Shoryuji Castle
Shoryuji Castle (勝竜寺城) is located in Nagaokakyo City, Kyoto Prefecture.
The castle can be easily accessed from JR Nagaokakyo Station (~10 mins, 220 yen from Kyoto Station). The castle is a 10-min walk from the east exit of the station.
Best Time to Visit Shoryuji Castle
I’ve only been there once, but judging by how beautiful the cherry blossoms were, I’d say early April is probably the most beautiful time to visit the castle.
Did you notice how lovely the fallen petals look in the castle moat?
There’s a great yearly festival called “Garasha Matsuri” in early November, so I suppose that’s also a good time to go.
Shoryuji Castle’s History
Shoryuji Castle was built by Hosokawa Yoriharu in 1339.
The castle mainly served as stronghold to defend Kyoto, capital at that time.
During the Onin War, it became occupied by Iwanari Tomomichi and the western alliance. Oda Nobunaga conquered the castle in 1568, and handed it to Hosokawa Tadaoki, who fortified the castle and built a double moat around it. He occupied the castle until 1579.
About one week after Nobunaga’s death in 1582, Shoryuji Castle was used as a base by Akechi Mitsuhide in the Battle of Yamazaki.
In 1633, Lord Nagai Naokiyo wanted to reconstruct the castle that was in a poor condition at that time. But he had to leave the castle in 1649 and after that nobody took care of it anymore.
(Sources: Wikipedia, JCastle.Info)
Shoryuji Castle – Facilities
The main building consists of 2 floors. Admission is free.
In the first floor you’ll find a rest area, vending machines and a toilet. In the second floor are some related exhibitions.
You’ll even find a detailed miniature model of the castle.
There’s also a map (view from the south side) of the castle.
Inside of the castle grounds is a small park.
In the photo above you see the statues of Tadaoki Hosokawa and Garasha Hosokawa. The latter was the daughter of a samurai and a Christian convert. Her father, Akechi Mitsuhide, was actually responsible for Nobunaga’s death. Rumors say that Garasha was canonized as a saint in 1862 by the Vatican. (*source: Wikipedia)
The “Garasha Festival” I mentioned earlier is held for her.
The park is small, but offers a quiet and lovely atmosphere for hanging out, having a picnic and enjoying Japanese history.
In spring it is especially beautiful as you can see in the photos.
In the photo above you see the “sumi turret” (sumi yagura, 隅櫓).
View of the castle and the moat from a higher elevation.
If you happen to be in Kyoto with some extra time on your hands, then this is a nice way to get out for just an hour or so.
And that’s it. I hope you enjoyed this blog post.
Please let me know in the comments below if you’d consider visiting or if you’ve already been there.
That’s some really incredible Cherry Blossoms and it somehow looks familiar. I wonder if Mangakas use it as reference in a lot of manga or Anime because it seems like I have seen that pathway with the trees lining it in several scenes, or maybe it was even in one of the Dramas I’ve watched…. Déjà vu. That whole Castle has a really calming look to it and its hard to imagine any combat in that beautiful pastoral setting. Great pics again! :D
Beautiful indeed. I really enjoyed it and relaxed in the park.
I doubt that it’s specifically this one because in spring you’ll see a similar scenery almost everywhere. ;)
I can’t believe how old these Japanese castles are! Man, 1339!!!
Another great photo reportage, Jasmine! Love to read the history facts in your photo posts.
Unfortunately it’s not an original structure. There are only 12 left in Japan. Most castles were dismantled or destroyed by fire and quakes. :(
I’ve yet to visit this one and it looks quite interesting. Lots of history behind it and as a Nobunaga Nut I’m interested in seeing it because of this history.
If you happen to be in Kyoto, it might be worth checking out. :)
Another sight in Kyoto? Hahaha this city never ceases to amaze me.. :)
Makes me think of going there again even though I’ve been there twice :teary:
Yes, there’s so much to see indeed. ^___^
Just be careful not to get things confused. This is not in Kyoto City, but in Kyoto Prefecture.
It’s in Nagaokakyo City which is very close to Kyoto City, though. :D
Oh I see.. I thought it’s inside Kyoto city, because I never heard of it before! Oh well, it’ll be a while before I can go to Japan again though, so this could go to the list for now :)