Tsuyama Castle

Tsuyama Castle, also known as Kakuzan Castle, is a historic Japanese fortress located in the Sange neighborhood of Tsuyama city within Okayama Prefecture. Originally constructed between 1441 and 1444 by the Yamana clan on Tsuru Mountain, the site saw its most significant development under Mori Tadamasa from 1603 to 1616. Built in the teikaku-style hirayama architectural tradition, it combines hilltop and flatland features and was once considered one of Japan's three major castles of this style, alongside Himeji and Matsuyama Castles. The structure utilized stone foundations, wood, and plaster walls, rising five stories high to serve as the primary residence for the daimyo of the Tsuyama Domain during the Edo period.

The castle held immense strategic value due to its position in the Tsuyama Basin, acting as a crucial junction for roads connecting the Seto Inland Sea with the Sea of Japan and serving as a post station on the Izumi kaidō pilgrimage route. Following the Meiji Restoration, the castle was demolished between 1874 and 1875, leaving mostly ruins today. However, the site remains culturally significant and has been designated a National Historic Site since 1963. In a move to preserve its heritage, the Bitchū-yagura turret was faithfully reconstructed in 2005, allowing visitors to visualize aspects of its former grandeur while exploring the extensive stone walls and grounds that survive from the early seventeenth century.