The wind and rain during the 300 years of the construction of the castle
I boarded the castle tower and looked down
Serenity and serenity at the moment
Seems so ordinary but precious
Past glory,
Are kept here today
In the warm winter of January, Wakayama Castle (also known as Fuhu Castle) with a history of nearly five centuries stands on Hufu Mountain. The history of Japan's top 100 famous cities, Wakayama Castle, is profound. It was originally built by his younger brother and then is 桑山重晴、淺野幸長、and 德川賴宣. Historically, it has been ranked as one of the three Tokugawa Imperial families(德川御三家) with 水戶 and 尾張. From the way of the construction, it is known as Sandan Vertical Hirayama Castle, same as Matsuyama Castle and Himeji Castle in Japan.
The entire city occupies a large area.In addition to retaining the old Japanese garden, the national shrine, and the historical exhibition hall in the castle tower, some parts have been converted into zoos and parks, allowing visitors to spend a morning stroll in this quiet and historical place. This article will introduce 7 things you can't miss when you come to Wakayama Castle.
This article will be introduced in the following order, and readers can pick the ones that interest them.
1. the mysterious mark on the stone wall (& entertain ninja)
2. Wakayama Castle's continuous vertical Hirayama style
3. History Exhibition Hall
4. the tower observation deck
5. Talking Vending machines in souvenir shops
6. Viewing platform
7.Wakayama Castle bridge
8. Nishinomaru Garden (Red Leaf Creek Garden)
9. Wakayama Prefecture Hokoku Shrine
Although Wakayama Castle is located in the center of the city, it takes about 20 minutes to walk from Wakayama City Station, and about 30 minutes to Wakayama Station. Even if adding the waiting time for buses and getting on and off the station basically takes about the same amount of time, friends or family members with limited mobility are still recommended to use the public transportation to and from Wakayama Castle. Passengers who choose to take a bus from Wakayama Station, the stop to get off is the "Otemon Gate"(大手門) of Wakayama Castle. Nearby is the Central Post Office. Here you can buy some Wakayama-only commemorative postcards!
1. the mysterious mark on the stone wall (& entertain ninja)
I was arranged for Koyasan in the afternoon on the day of visiting Wakayama Castle, so I rented a car to come. After parking the car and going up, I passed through a towering stone wall. At that time, the famous castle-builder 藤堂高虎 and the workers were very powerful. They could build stones into walls and preserve them for hundreds of years. Looking closely at the stones on the stone wall, you can find some unknown icons. After official investigation and statistics, it was confirmed that there are about 140 patterns. However, the function is not yet conclusive.
When walking upwards, it is very likely that you will encounter "Entertaining Ninjas" that appear from time to time. They will hide themselves with a cloth close to the stone wall. When tourists need help, they will suddenly appeared. I heard that the most common thing is to help push a stroller or luggage to go up castle, and sometimes there even provided performances. Compared to the common staff, Wakayama Castle is very creative and successful.
2. Wakayama Castle's continuous vertical Hirayama style
There is no charge for admission to the entire city. Only Tianshou Pavilion needs to pay to enter the venue. Admission is 410 yen for adults and 200 yen for children (elementary and elementary school students).
The Tianshou Pavilion we are seeing now is the third generation of reconstruction, and has experienced a lightning strike and air strikes. However, from the appearance, we can only see the main 天守, and only by buying tickets can we see the 主副天守 and the connected "多聞櫓"
Walking up the stone steps, you will first see the 二之門
You will enter the Japanese garden through 二之門, and the white stone at the entrance will be paved with the shape of heart.
In addition to a few Kishu plums in the courtyard, you can also watch the white wall blue tiles shining in the sun with a calm and restrained Japanese beauty at a close distance.
Because it is a continuous vertical Hirayama castle, there is no direct door to the main castle tower. You need to pass through the "楠門" before you can enter.
3. History Exhibition Hall
As usual in the castle, it is a precious data exhibition hall, which displays many related artifacts of the Kishu Tokugawa family(紀州德川家). If you visit it carefully, it will take about 1 hour.
Each of the exhibits here will have almost four other languages besides Japanese, simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, Korean, and English, so that visitors who like history can have a deeper understanding.
4. the tower observation deck
Walk along the display of the History Museum, and soon you will reach the observation deck of the castle tower. The top of Fuhu Mountain, with a 360-degree field of vision, is a great place to enjoy the entire Wakayama city.
Although the aisle space is not large, standing here has a feeling of being a king. At the same time, the eaves will be seen together in the scenery, which is a also a feature here.
5. Talking Vending machines in souvenir shops
After visiting the castle tower, come to the souvenir shop and order a warm glass of sweet wine to rest! Here, in addition to buying the limited Wakayama Castle postcards, you can also find one of the vending machines that will talk to you! It ’s very interesting. If you are hungry, soba or light dishes are also available here.
6. Viewing platform
If you want to take the most complete picture of Wakayama Castle, or sit on the bench with your beloved, and spend this leisurely morning, come to this new viewing platform that was built in 2017! From here, you can see the majesty of the whole city.
The scenery is different throughout the year. The most famous one is the cherry blossom season in spring. Imagine the pink cherry in full bloom with the handsome castle, that would be so wonderful!
7.Wakayama Castle bridge
Walking down the mountain to the park, followed by this is this sloping building, the "御橋走廊", which is very rare in Japan. This hall is connected to the government hall where the lord's decision was made at the time and the Nishinomaru Garden. This corridor has windows, but it can only be seen from the inside, it cannot be seen from the outside to protect the privacy and security of the lord.
The bridge is tilted 11 degrees and has a high and low design to prevent slipping. It is said that the lords in the past world think about national politics while walking through, and then arrive at the next stop: Nishinomaru Garden.
8. Nishinomaru Garden (Red Leaf Creek Garden)
鳶魚閣 is the center of 西之丸庭. Strolling the bridge, listening to the soft and graceful embellishment of the waterfall, the carp is clear in the pond, and the I likes to look at the lake from this angle of the bridge; it is as if the lord in the past liked to look up at the castle from here.
In the Nishinomaru Garden, there is a "紅松庵" tea room donated by 松下幸之. You can taste authentic Japanese matcha and experience the tea ceremony. Every day in Wakayama, I feel so slow and beautiful.
9. Wakayama Prefecture Hokoku Shrine
Each prefecture has its own guardian shrine, and most of them will be located in the same district as the castle, such as Wakayama Prefecture. This place is home to more than 30,000 war heroes in Wakayama since the Meiji period. Regular public ceremonies and spiritual worship ceremonies are held on May 5 and October 5.
Although it is a weekend, there are not many people visiting the temple. It makes me feel tranquil again in Wakayama prefecture.
創作始於 2016，以質感圖文創作，分享旅行世界的腳印。曾任日本仙台山形觀光大使，內容以台灣鄉鎮、日本深度旅遊、世界旅遊攻略為主，曾獲《痞客邦社群金典獎》，願用文字與鏡頭，帶讀者認識這個世界。
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