Usual hours and prices, checked 2026-10-07 against the sources under “What this place is”. They can change for holidays and events — confirm before you go. Official site
Our guide
Tsuwano Castle, in what is now Tsuwano, Shimane, was in its early history called Sanbonmatsu Castle or Ipponmatsu Castle. In the Edo period it was the centre of the Tsuwano Domain of the Kamei clan, but the domain's offices and the daimyō's residence were at the foot of the mountain, to avoid the steep mountain paths. The ruins have been a National Historic Site since 1942.
Tsuwano Station on the Yamaguchi Line is about 1.6 km away in a straight line. The castle is on a mountain, so check the way up before you go; we have not checked it.
Written by japan-spots.com (2026-09-22) from the sources credited on this page. Distances are straight lines between map positions.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, each under its own licence — see credits
- TsuwanoJo — Mocchy · Public domain · source · resized
- Tsuwano Castle 13 Taiko-mru — TT mk2 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Tsuwano Castle 12 Tenshu pedestal 2 — TT mk2 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Tsuwano Castle 11 Tenshu pedestal 1 — TT mk2 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Tsuwano Castle 10 Koshi-guruwa — TT mk2 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Tsuwano Castle 09 South gate — TT mk2 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Tsuwano Castle 07 Sannomaru 2 — TT mk2 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Tsuwano Castle 06 Sannomaru 1 — TT mk2 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Tsuwano Castle 04 Sandan-Yagura — TT mk2 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Tsuwano Castle 03 East gate — TT mk2 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
What this place is
Tsuwano Castle (津和野城, Tsuwano-jō) was a Japanese castle located in what is now the city of Tsuwano, Shimane Prefecture, in the San'in region of far western Japan. Its ruins have been protected by the central government as a National Historic Site since 1942. In its early history, it was called Sanbonmatsu Castle (三本松城, Sanbonmatsu-jō) or Ipponmatsu Castle (一本松城, Ipponmatsu-jō). During the Edo Period, it was the center of Tsuwano Domain ruled by the Kamei clan; however, the administrative offices and daimyō residence were located at the base of the mountain to avoid the steep mountain paths.
Visitor information checked: 2026-10-07 · Official visitor information
Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
What to expect at this type of place: Castle
Nearby station
Nearby station: Tsuwano (Yamaguchi Line), about 1.6 km from the spot in a straight line.
Worked out on 2026-09-14 from this place’s map position, using HeartRails Express station data and station names from Wikidata. The distance is a straight line, not a walking route, and says nothing about buses, transfers or timetables — plan the trip on Google Maps.
Traveler reviews
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