Toba Castle
鳥羽城
A samurai-era stronghold with stone walls, moats and a view from the keep.
What this place is
Toba Castle (鳥羽城, Toba-jō) was a Japanese castle (now in ruins) located in the city of Toba, Mie Prefecture, Japan. Throughout the Edo period, Toba Castle was the administrative center for Toba Domain, a feudal domain of Shima Province under the Tokugawa shogunate. Toba Castle was also known as the Floating Castle of Toba (鳥羽の浮城, Toba-no-uki-jō) or the Two-color Castle (二色城, Nishoku-jō) (from the fact that its seaward side was painted black, and landward side painted white). The castle site received protection as a Mie Prefectural Historic Site in 1965.
Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Why it is worth the trip
- Massive dry-stone walls and moats built without mortar — the engineering is as impressive as the tower above it.
- A main keep (tenshu) you can climb, with each floor showing armour, weapons and castle-town models.
- Grounds that double as the town's best park: cherry blossoms in spring, maples in autumn, illumination at night.
What you can do here
- Climb to the top floor for a 360° view over the castle town and surrounding mountains.
- Walk the full circuit of the moat and outer baileys — the gates and turrets are free to see from outside.
- Rent a kimono or samurai costume nearby for photos in front of the keep.
- Time your visit with a seasonal festival or evening light-up, when the walls are lit from below.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons — click any image for the photographer and licence.
Getting there by public transport
Good to know before you go
- Keep interiors have steep wooden stairs and a shoes-off rule — wear socks and easy-to-remove shoes.
- Last admission is usually 30 minutes before closing; arrive early on weekends.
- The park around the castle is normally free even when the keep charges admission.
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