Wakayama Castle

First Shogun

pond features a large boulder called a ‘Boat Stone; A small island was installed inTokugawaIeyasu

The garden was originally built in the early Edo period as the castle’s garden. It
has been designed to be best enjoyed by taking a stroll around it. The upper

The Tokugawa Family

the moat to make it appear as if it were a second, larger pond.
In 1985, the garden was officially designated by the government as a JapanesePlace of Scenic Beauty. Because the crimson maple leaves are beautiful in theTokugawa
Hidetada

Second ShogunHouse of Owari

September through the beginning ofTokugawa
Yoshinao

autumn leaves here is from the end ofFounder

Maple Leaves’. The best time to see theTokugawa
Yorinobu

fall, it is also known as the ‘Momijidani-Teien’, or the ‘Garden of the Valley of(House of Kishu)

House of Mito

Tokugawa
Yorifusa(Discontinued Family Line)

Toyotomi
Hideyasu

The House of Toyotomi

Toyotomi
Hidenaga

Kuwayama
Kazuharu(Relocated to Yamatoshinjo)

Kuwayama
Kazushige

The House of Kuwayama

Kuwayama
Shigeharu(Relocated to Akihiroshima)

Asano
Yoshinaga

Asano
NagaakiraThe House of Asano

Asano
Nagamasa

Historical

Nishinomaru-Teien Garden (Momijidani-Teien)

November.

○ Closed: December 29th - December 31st(Ohashiroka Bridge closed until December 29th - January 3rd)

I Climbed Wakayama Castle!
Commemorative Stamp

erhiiv
-R

ama-s

ayino

ak

K

ai WnkNa

Third
Lord of Kishu

This pamphlet was created with the support of a grant received in 2013 from theProject to Provide General Use Support to Promote Historic Landmarks that Make theBest Use of the Unique Characteristics of the Local Area.

TokugawaTsunanori☎（073）435-1044

Tokugawa Yorinobu, the First Lordof Kishu, was called ‘The Dragon ofthe Southern Seas’. He founded andestablished the House of Kishu.

Twelfth Shogun

23, Shichiban-cho, Wakayama City 640-8511

FourthLord of Kishu

36, Nishimigiwa-cho, Wakayama City（Wakayama Chamber of Commerce, 1st Floor） ☎（073）422-1152○ Wakayama Castle Facilities Planning Division

TokugawaIeyoshi☎（073）422-8789

TokugawaYorimoto3, Ichiban-cho, Wakayama City 640-8146○ Wakayama City Culture and Sports Promotion Foundation（Public Interest Incorporated Foundation）

Thirteenth Lord of Kishu○ Wakayama Castle(Fourteenth Shogun)

Take the bus from JR Wakayama Station or Nankai Wakayama-shi station and get off at the ‘Koen-mae’ bus stop.

■For More Information

EleventhLord of Kishu*A koku is a unit used to express power and economic strength equivalent toapproximately 150 kilograms of rice, or enough to feed one person for a year.

Wakayama
Castle Sannenzaka St.
Wakayama
Prefectural Museum

Eleventh Shogun

1931, it was established as a historical site.

■Access

42Tenth Shogun

Thirty years later it was opened to the public as Wakayama Park. Finally, in○ Closed:Dec. 29th - 31th

PrefecturalOﬃce

Ninth Shogun

prefectures. During this time, the castle was used as an army lookout point.

9:00 AM - 5:30 PM（Last entrance, 5:00 PM）

Tokugawa Yoshitomi(Iemochi)

In 1871 the feudal system was abolished and the country was divided into

Keyaki St.

○ Hours:

Tokugawa Yoshimune, theFifth Lord of Kishu, worked
to streamline the economyof his domain.
As theEighth Shogun he carriedout financial reforms.

TokugawaNariyuki

Shogun, Yoshimune, and the 14th Shogun, Iemochi, came from here.

Koen-maeCity Hall bus stop

TwelfthLord of Kishu

watched over Western Japan. Many notable figures, including the Eighth

26

Fourteenth
Lord of Kishu

Wakayama Castle came to be known as the most important fortress thatGroup Discounts Available, Children Free on Saturdays

Tokugawa
Mochitsugu

ward of the castle, and the castle came to look much the same as it does today.

Students（Jr. high and younger）¥ 200

Tokugawa
Narikatsu

The Minaminonaru and Sunanomaru areas were incorporated into the inner

Adults（Including high school students）¥ 410

24

Kokutai St

inner west moat was filled in to allow for the Ninomaru area to be expanded.

○ Admission:

TokugawaYorisato

now yielded 555,000 *koku, and established the House of Kishu. Part of the■Castle Business Hours and Entrance Fees

Azaleas

JR Wakayama

In 1619, Yorinobu, the 10th son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, came to the area, which

Tree Peonies→to Hanwa Highway

from Ichinohashimon Gate.

Japanese Globeflowers

JR Hanwa Linetown was built around Honmachidori Ave., the main avenue that extended out

Cherry Blossoms

TokugawaIenari

the Okaguchimon Gate to the Ichinohashimon Gate. The surrounding castle

Tokugawa
Ieharuas Honmaru, Ninomaru, and Nishinomaru. The main gate was changed fromTokugawa
Ieshigeinterconnected-style and building a residence in the areas that are now known

TenthLord of Kishu

increase the size of the castle, developing the main castle keep into its current

EighthLord of Kishu

Asano as the daimyo, the area produced 376,000 *koku of rice. He worked toSeventh
Lord of Kishu

Hydrangeas・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Tsuru no Tani Valley (early June)

In 1600, after the Battle of Sekigahara, Asano Yoshinaga came to Kishu. With

Tokugawa
Harutomi

Azaleas・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Around the dry south moat (late April - early May)

Tokugawa
Shigenori

Tree Peonies・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Ninomaru (late April)

Tokugawa
Munenobu

mountain and the Okaguchi area.

NinthLord of Kishu

Kuwayama periods, construction was mainly focused on the area at the top of theJapanese Globeflowers・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Tsuru no Tani Valley (April)

Tokugawa
Yoriyukiend, Kuwayama became lord of the castle. During this time, the Toyotomi andCherry Blossoms・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Castle grounds (late March - early April)

Tokugawa
Yorikata

was placed in charge of the castle. Later, when Hidenaga’s family line came to an

Daffodils・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Ninomaru and other locations (late February)

Tokugawa
Harusada

When Hidenaga was moved to Yamato Koriyama Castle, Kuwayama Shigeharu

Fifth
Lord of Kishu

building.

Eighth Shogun

Flower Information

Todo Takatora was in charge of overseeing the building of the castle. ThisTokugawa
Yoshimune

Engyokaku Pavillion and the autumn leaves

we know today as Wakayama Castle.
castle can be said to be the first early modern castle that he was involved inSecondLord of Kishu○ Open: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, 7 Days a Week

Tokugawa
Mitsusada

Nishinomaru-Teien Garden Entrance
Fees and Admission

Tokugawa
Munenaobuild a castle on Mt. Okayama (now known as Mt. Torafusu). This is the castle

House ofSixth
Saijo Matsudaira Lord of Kishu

In 1585 Hashiba (Toyotomi) Hideyoshi subjugated the Kishu territory (thearea now known as Wakayama) and ordered his younger brother, Hidenaga toTokugawaYorizumi

The History of Wakayama Castle

Tokugawa Harutomi, the Tenth Lord ofKishu, was known as the feudal lord wholoved elegance. He contributed greatly
to the cultural development in Kishu.

Ichinohashi Bridge

Wakayama Castle

Ninomaru●WAKAYAMAHISTORICALCENTER

When it was originally built on the west
summit of Mt. Torafusu by the House ofPBus
ParkingAsano, Wakayama Castle was very similar
to its current state. However, at the time,

During the Tokugawa era, Honmarugoten Palace was located on the top ofOtemon
Gate

Nishinomaru
Ohashi RoukaBridge

the mountain. However because thatNinomaru

location was cramped and inconve-

the outer walls were covered in blackwooden paneling.
The castle consists of a series of intercon-nient, a separate dwelling and administrative offices for the feudal lord wereCamphor
Tree

Wakayama Castle before it was destroyed
during World War Ⅱ

built in Ninomaru.

Nishinomaru-Teien Garden(Momijidani-Teien)nected buildings surrounding a central courtyard. The main, three-tiered castle tower
is followed (clockwise) by an interconnecting corridor, the inner castle gate called

Ninomaru was divided into 3 sections. The outer section was used for theBack PathSunanomaru

Tenshunino-mon (also known as the ‘Camphor Wood Gate’), another corridor, thenorthwest watchtower, another corridor, the cookery, and, finally a small tower.

Tsuru no Tani
ValleyIn 1798, Tokugawa Harutomi, the 10th Lord of Kishu, ordered for the castle’s black
paneling to be changed into white walls like the ones you see today.

affairs of the feudal clan, the middle section was the official residence of theStatue ofReclining
Tiger

feudal lord, and the inner section was the private residence of the feudal lordand his ladies in waiting.

Ohashiroka Bridge

Honmaru Palace

In 1846, the castle was struck by lightning and was destroyed in the resulting fire.
Because it was the castle of one of the three top Tokugawa families, special permission

The Ohashiroka Bridge was built toDonjon

allow the feudal lord, his retainers andwas granted in 1850 to allow it to be restored to roughly its original state.

Front Path

his ladies in waiting to cross between

In 1935, Wakayama Castle was designated as a national treasure. However, on July
9th, 1945, it was burned to the ground during an air bombing. After the war, the citizens

Ninomaru and Nishinomaru. It wasOimawashimon
Gateof Wakayama requested for it to be rebuilt. Subsequently, in 1958, it was rebuilt inbuilt with a roof and walls to prevent
NewBack Pathreinforced concrete.

people from being able to see in from

Minaminomaru

Otemon Gate andIchinohashi Bridge

the outside. This kind of diagonally ascending bridge is very unusual in Japan.

ZooP

It was rebuilt in March of 2006.
Okaguchimon Gate

The Historic Stone Walls of Wakayama Castle‘Otemon’ means the main gate used

Gokoku Shrinefor accessing the inner quarters of theFumeimon
Gate

The kinds of stones used and the styles of building vary between time periods.

Nozura-zumi - Rough, Unworked Walls

castle. Originally, the gate was named

The stone is simply piled up in the form it comes in

Ichinohashi - gomon Gate a f ter theDiagram of Wakayama Castle andthe Surrounding Areasadjacent Ichinohashi Bridge. Later, in
the Asano period the gate began to be used as the main entrance. In 1796
the gate was renamed, and the gate and bridge were referred to separately(The original document is housedin the Wakayama Prefectural Library.)as the Otemon (main) Gate and the Ichinohashi Bridge.
In May of 1909 the gate collapsed and was not rebuilt until March of 1982.
In March of the following year the Ichinohashi Bridge was also restored.

This detailed map of the inner quarters of Wakayama Castle was made by theOkaguchimon Gate

Nishinomaru

At the time of the castle’s construction, this gate

Ninomaru

Sunanomaru

miraculously survived the air-raids during the war thatburned down the rest of the castle, making it one of the few
precious remnants from the old feudal era. The Okaguchimon Gate and the earthen wall on the north side of the castle
Eyelet in the earthen wall

were designated as important cultural properties in 1957.

Oimawashimon
GateDonjon

Matsunomaru

Okaguchimon
Gate

Uchikomi-hagi - Rough Joinery with
Wedged-in Pieces

help them fit together better.

Theremaining gaps are then filled bywedging in small stones. These walls
werebuilt

duringthe AsanoTokugawa

periods

usingandsandstone

Carved sealfrom

theThe original drawing was originally created in the 1800s. Every time new construc-Tomogashima Islands. The rocks with seals carved into

tion was carried out, the applicable areas would be drawn up, cut out, and glued onthem are largely thought to be from the Asano period.

to the original map to update it.

Kirikomi-hagi - Precise Joinery Using
Cut Stones

This map also shows the cardinal directions divided into 24 sub-directions with theMinaminomaru

kinds of crystalline schist.

in the late Edo period. It includes the positions of the castle tower’s quarters on thethe south foot of the mountain.

The current two-story gate was built in 1621 by
the House of Tokugawa. The Okaguchimon Gate

Kuwayama periods using mostly green schist and otherIn this style of wall building, theBridge, Sunanomaru to the west and south of Nishinomaru, and Minaminomaru on

Gate and was used as the back gate.

wall building was mostly used during the Toyotomi andsurface of the rocks is worked roughly tothe north foot of the mountain, Nishinomaru on the west side of the Ohashiroka
Honmaru
Palacerough walls with a relatively gentle slope. This style ofKishu Domain’s contractor. This diagram clearly shows Wakayama Castle as it waswest summit of Mt. Torafusu, Honmaru-goten Palace on the east peak, Ninomaru at

Ohashi Rouka
Bridgewas used as the main castle gate. However, during
the Asano Period it was called the Karametemon

OtemonGatefrom the quarry, with no modifications. This createsmain tower in the center. The map matches up almost perfectly with maps created

In this style of wall building, the rocks are worked precisely, allowing the slope of the walls

using modern surveying techniques. Because the main castle tower burnt down

to be very steep. These walls were made during the Tokugawa Period with porphyritic

after being struck by lighting and was then rebuilt, that section has been pasted overwith a diagram of the new tower.

granite from Kumano. Kirikomi-hagi joinery is used in places such as corners, tall stone
walls, and in front of the statue of the reclining tiger.