Tsuruga Castle (鶴ヶ城, Tsurugajō) is a replica castle in the city of Aizuwakamatsu, near the centre of Fukushima Prefecture. The original castle was built in 1384 in the 14th century and stood for nearly 500 years until it was destroyed in 1868 when the local samurai rebelled against the Meiji government. The samurai were defeated in battle, and their fortress was destroyed. However, the replica castle seen today was built in the 1960s.
Inside the castle you will find the museum, with numerous historic artifacts and samurai memorabilia, which should give you a pretty accurate image of what samurai life was like, just a few hundred years ago. Once making your way through and up the interior of the castle, you will come to the observation deck on the top floor, granting you views of the entire city.
Like most Castles in Japan, the castle grounds are immaculate. The best time to visit the castle grounds is around the middle of spring as there are countless cherry blossum trees scattered about the grounds, making for a beautiful and peaceful walk.
Located within the castle grounds is Rinkaku Garden, a traditional tea house where the famous warlord Uesugi Yozan is said to have practiced tea ceremony. The Rinkaku Garden has an entry fee of 210 JPY, or you can get a combination ticket for the Castle and the garden for 520JPY.
Hours and Admission
- Hours: 8:30am - 5:00pm (Last entry at 4:30pm)
- 410 JPY (Castle Only)
- 520 JPY (combination for both castle and Rinkaku teahouse)
- Average Time Spent: 30-60 minutes
- Official Website
Accessing Tsuruga Castle
The closest train station to Aizuwakamatsu / Tsuruga Castle is Nishi-Wakamatsu Station, about a 30 minutes, 2km walk. There are taxis from Nishi-Wakamatsu Station which will cost around about 1500JPY One way.
Alternatively, a bus line from Aizu-Wakamatsu Station – the Aizu Loop Bus – will take you within about 5 5-minute walk to the castle, at the castle park’s north entrance, bus stop ‘Tsurugajo Kitaguchi’.
If you have a rental car or private car, there is a paid parking lot on the Tsuruga Castle Grounds, starting at 300JPY.
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