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The garden was originally built in the early Edo period as the castle’s garden. It
has been designed to be best enjoyed by taking a stroll around it. The upper
pond features a large boulder called a ‘Boat Stone; A small island was installed in
the moat to make it appear as if it were a second, larger pond.
In 1985, the garden was officially designated by the government as a Japanese
Place of Scenic Beauty. Because the crimson maple leaves are beautiful in the
fall, it is also known as the ‘Momijidani-Teien’, or the ‘Garden of the Valley of
Maple Leaves’. The best time to see the
autumn leaves here is from the end of
September through the beginning of
November.
I Climbed Wakayama Castle!Commemorative Stamp
HistoricalWakayama Castle
Nishinomaru-Teien Garden (Momijidani-Teien) The Tokugawa Family
Flower Information
The History of Wakayama Castle
In 1585 Hashiba (Toyotomi) Hideyoshi subjugated the Kishu territory (the
area now known as Wakayama) and ordered his younger brother, Hidenaga to
build a castle on Mt. Okayama (now known as Mt. Torafusu). This is the castle
we know today as Wakayama Castle.
Todo Takatora was in charge of overseeing the building of the castle. This
castle can be said to be the first early modern castle that he was involved in
building.
When Hidenaga was moved to Yamato Koriyama Castle, Kuwayama Shigeharu
was placed in charge of the castle. Later, when Hidenaga’s family line came to an
end, Kuwayama became lord of the castle. During this time, the Toyotomi and
Kuwayama periods, construction was mainly focused on the area at the top of the
mountain and the Okaguchi area.
In 1600, after the Battle of Sekigahara, Asano Yoshinaga came to Kishu. With
Asano as the daimyo, the area produced 376,000 *koku of rice. He worked to
increase the size of the castle, developing the main castle keep into its current
interconnected-style and building a residence in the areas that are now known
as Honmaru, Ninomaru, and Nishinomaru. The main gate was changed from
the Okaguchimon Gate to the Ichinohashimon Gate. The surrounding castle
town was built around Honmachidori Ave., the main avenue that extended out
from Ichinohashimon Gate.
In 1619, Yorinobu, the 10th son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, came to the area, which
now yielded 555,000 *koku, and established the House of Kishu. Part of the
inner west moat was filled in to allow for the Ninomaru area to be expanded.
The Minaminonaru and Sunanomaru areas were incorporated into the inner
ward of the castle, and the castle came to look much the same as it does today.
Wakayama Castle came to be known as the most important fortress that
watched over Western Japan. Many notable figures, including the Eighth
Shogun, Yoshimune, and the 14th Shogun, Iemochi, came from here.
In 1871 the feudal system was abolished and the country was divided into
prefectures. During this time, the castle was used as an army lookout point.
Thirty years later it was opened to the public as Wakayama Park. Finally, in
1931, it was established as a historical site.
*A koku is a unit used to express power and economic strength equivalent to approximately 150 kilograms of rice, or enough to feed one person for a year.
Engyokaku Pavillion and the autumn leaves
Daffodils・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Ninomaru and other locations (late February)
Cherry Blossoms・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Castle grounds (late March - early April)
Japanese Globeflowers・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Tsuru no Tani Valley (April)
Tree Peonies・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Ninomaru (late April)
Azaleas・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Around the dry south moat (late April - early May)
Hydrangeas・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Tsuru no Tani Valley (early June)
AzaleasJapanese GlobeflowersCherry Blossoms Tree Peonies
■Castle Business Hours and Entrance Fees ○ Admission:
Adults (Including high school students) ¥ 410
Students (Jr. high and younger) ¥ 200
Group Discounts Available, Children Free on Saturdays
○ Hours:
9:00 AM - 5:30 PM (Last entrance, 5:00 PM)
○ Closed:Dec. 29th - 31th
■Access Take the bus from JR Wakayama Station or Nankai Wakayama-shi station and get off at the ‘Koen-mae’ bus stop.
■For More Information
○ Wakayama Castle 3, Ichiban-cho, Wakayama City 640-8146 ☎ (073) 422-8789
○ Wakayama City Culture and Sports Promotion Foundation (Public Interest Incorporated Foundation) 36, Nishimigiwa-cho, Wakayama City (Wakayama Chamber of Commerce, 1st Floor) ☎ (073) 422-1152
○ Wakayama Castle Facilities Planning Division 23, Shichiban-cho, Wakayama City 640-8511 ☎ (073) 435-1044
Nishinomaru-Teien Garden Entrance Fees and Admission ○ Open: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, 7 Days a Week
○ Closed: December 29th - December 31st
(Ohashiroka Bridge closed until December 29th - January 3rd)
This pamphlet was created with the support of a grant received in 2013 from the Project to Provide General Use Support to Promote Historic Landmarks that Make the Best Use of the Unique Characteristics of the Local Area.
Tokugawa Harutomi, the Tenth Lord of Kishu, was known as the feudal lord who loved elegance. He contributed greatly to the cultural development in Kishu.
Tokugawa Yorinobu, the First Lord of Kishu, was called ‘The Dragon of the Southern Seas’. He founded and established the House of Kishu.
Tokugawa Yoshimune, the Fifth Lord of Kishu, worked to streamline the economy of his domain. As the Eighth Shogun he carried out financial reforms.
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Nishinomaru-Teien Garden(Momijidani-Teien)
Tsuru no TaniValley
Sunanomaru
OimawashimonGate
Donjon
Honmaru Palace
Back Path
Front Path
Minaminomaru
Zoo
FumeimonGate
Okaguchimon Gate
Ninomaru
Nishinomaru
●WAKAYAMA HISTORICAL CENTER
BusParking
CamphorTree
Statue ofRecliningTiger
NewBack Path
Gokoku Shrine
Ichinohashi Bridge
Ohashi RoukaBridge
OtemonGate
Nozura-zumi - Rough, Unworked Walls The stone is simply piled up in the form it comes in
from the quarry, with no modi�cations. This creates
rough walls with a relatively gentle slope. This style of
wall building was mostly used during the Toyotomi and
Kuwayama periods using mostly green schist and other
kinds of crystalline schist.
Uchikomi-hagi - Rough Joinery with Wedged-in Pieces In this style of wall building, the
surface of the rocks is worked roughly to
help them �t together better. The
remaining gaps are then �lled by
wedging in small stones. These walls
were built during the Asano and
Tokugawa periods using sandstone from the
Tomogashima Islands. The rocks with seals carved into
them are largely thought to be from the Asano period.
Kirikomi-hagi - Precise Joinery Using Cut Stones
In this style of wall building, the rocks are worked precisely, allowing the slope of the walls
to be very steep. These walls were made during the Tokugawa Period with porphyritic
granite from Kumano. Kirikomi-hagi joinery is used in places such as corners, tall stone
walls, and in front of the statue of the reclining tiger.
Diagram of Wakayama Castle and the Surrounding Areas
(The original document is housed in the Wakayama Prefectural Library.)
The kinds of stones used and the styles of building vary between time periods.
The Historic Stone Walls of Wakayama Castle
Carved seal
Wakayama Castle Ninomaru
Ohashiroka Bridge
The Ohashiroka Bridge was built to
allow the feudal lord, his retainers and
his ladies in waiting to cross between
Ninomaru and Nishinomaru. It was
built with a roof and walls to prevent
people from being able to see in from
the outside. This kind of diagonally ascending bridge is very unusual in Japan.
It was rebuilt in March of 2006.
Wakayama Castle before it was destroyedduring World War Ⅱ
Okaguchimon Gate
Eyelet in the earthen wall
Nishinomaru
Ohashi RoukaBridge
Ninomaru
Donjon
HonmaruPalace
Matsunomaru
Minaminomaru
OkaguchimonGate
Sunanomaru
OimawashimonGate
OtemonGate
When it was originally built on the west
summit of Mt. Torafusu by the House of
Asano, Wakayama Castle was very similar
to its current state. However, at the time,
the outer walls were covered in black
wooden paneling.
The castle consists of a series of intercon-
nected buildings surrounding a central courtyard. The main, three-tiered castle tower
is followed (clockwise) by an interconnecting corridor, the inner castle gate called
Tenshunino-mon (also known as the ‘Camphor Wood Gate’), another corridor, the
northwest watchtower, another corridor, the cookery, and, finally a small tower.
In 1798, Tokugawa Harutomi, the 10th Lord of Kishu, ordered for the castle’s black
paneling to be changed into white walls like the ones you see today.
In 1846, the castle was struck by lightning and was destroyed in the resulting fire.
Because it was the castle of one of the three top Tokugawa families, special permission
was granted in 1850 to allow it to be restored to roughly its original state.
In 1935, Wakayama Castle was designated as a national treasure. However, on July
9th, 1945, it was burned to the ground during an air bombing. After the war, the citizens
of Wakayama requested for it to be rebuilt. Subsequently, in 1958, it was rebuilt in
reinforced concrete.
At the time of the castle’s construction, this gate
was used as the main castle gate. However, during
the Asano Period it was called the Karametemon
Gate and was used as the back gate.
The current two-story gate was built in 1621 by
the House of Tokugawa. The Okaguchimon Gate
miraculously survived the air-raids during the war that
burned down the rest of the castle, making it one of the few
precious remnants from the old feudal era. The Okaguchi-
mon Gate and the earthen wall on the north side of the castle
were designated as important cultural properties in 1957.
‘Otemon’ means the main gate used
for accessing the inner quarters of the
castle. Originally, the gate was named
Ichinohashi -gomon Gate a f ter the
adjacent Ichinohashi Bridge. Later, in
the Asano period the gate began to be used as the main entrance. In 1796
the gate was renamed, and the gate and bridge were referred to separately
as the Otemon (main) Gate and the Ichinohashi Bridge.
In May of 1909 the gate collapsed and was not rebuilt until March of 1982.
In March of the following year the Ichinohashi Bridge was also restored. This detailed map of the inner quarters of Wakayama Castle was made by the
Kishu Domain’s contractor. This diagram clearly shows Wakayama Castle as it was
in the late Edo period. It includes the positions of the castle tower’s quarters on the
west summit of Mt. Torafusu, Honmaru-goten Palace on the east peak, Ninomaru at
the north foot of the mountain, Nishinomaru on the west side of the Ohashiroka
Bridge, Sunanomaru to the west and south of Nishinomaru, and Minaminomaru on
the south foot of the mountain.
The original drawing was originally created in the 1800s. Every time new construc-
tion was carried out, the applicable areas would be drawn up, cut out, and glued on
to the original map to update it.
This map also shows the cardinal directions divided into 24 sub-directions with the
main tower in the center. The map matches up almost perfectly with maps created
using modern surveying techniques. Because the main castle tower burnt down
after being struck by lighting and was then rebuilt, that section has been pasted over
with a diagram of the new tower.
During the Tokugawa era, Honmaru-
goten Palace was located on the top of
the mountain. However because that
location was cramped and inconve-
nient, a separate dwelling and adminis-
trative offices for the feudal lord were
built in Ninomaru.
Ninomaru was divided into 3 sections. The outer section was used for the
affairs of the feudal clan, the middle section was the official residence of the
feudal lord, and the inner section was the private residence of the feudal lord
and his ladies in waiting.
The garden was originally built in the late Edo period as the castle’s garden. It
has been designed to be best enjoyed by taking a stroll around it. The upper
pond features a large boulder called a ‘Boat Stone.’ A small island was installed
in the moat to make it appear as if it were a second, larger pond.
In 1985, the garden was officially designated by the government as a Japanese
Place of Scenic Beauty. Because the crimson maple leaves are beautiful in the
fall, it is also known as the ‘Momijidani-Teien’, or the ‘Garden of the Valley of
Maple Leaves’. The best time to see the
autumn leaves here is from the end of
September through the beginning of
November.
Nishinomaru-Teien Garden (Momijidani-Teien)
Otemon Gate and Ichinohashi Bridge