Alongside Takatori Castle in Yamato (present day Nara Prefecture) and Matsuyama Castle in Bitchū (present day Okayama Prefecture), Iwamura Castle is counted as one of Japan’s three greatest mountaintop castles.
Located 717 meters above sea level, Iwamura Castle was elevation-wise the highest geographically located castle in all of Japan during the Edo period (1603-1868). Its location up in the mountains made it difficult to attack and the land was often blanketed in a deep fog, causing the castle to also become known as “Kirigajo”, or “the misty castle”.
This castle that Oda Nobunaga’s aunt had once ruled over has since been demolished, but the stone foundations remain and Iwamura Castle Ruins are still considered one of Japan’s 100 finest castles to this very day.
The nearby castle town boasts over 400 years of history and serves to remind visitors what the area must have looked like all those years ago.
- Tradition & History
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Basic Information
Address | Iwamura-cho, Ena City, Gifu 509-7403 |
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Access | Walking distance from Iwamura Station on the Akechi Railway |
Telephone Number | 0573-43-3231 |
Website | Visit Website |