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Bitchu Matsuyama Castle

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One of the last Japanese Castles

松山城・雲海

In the northern part of Central Takahashi City rises the Mount Gagyu, the mount of the « lying cow », so named because viewed from the West, it depicts a cow lying down on the grass. It is made of four peaks, Omatsuyama, Tenjin no maru, Komatsuyama and Maeyama. Built atop Komatsuyama peak, Bitchu Matsuyama Castle is one of the last twelve Japanese castle with an original keep. It is not to be confused with Matsuyama Castle located in Ehime Prefecture.

At first, Bitchu Matsuyama Castle was built on Omatsuyama peak in 1240 by Akiba Shigenobu Saburo, and spread to Komatsuyama peak later on. Its construction was completed in 1683 by Mizunoya Katsumune, lord of Bitchu Matsuyama domain at that time. Whereas many Japanese castles were destroyed after the abolition of feudal system during the second half ot the 19th century, Bitchu Matsuyama castle has come down to us through centuries with its authenticity intact.

Bitchu-Matsuyama-Castle

Thus, Bitchu Matsuyama Castle is one of the last twelve Japanese castle with a keep which has never been destroyed and rebuilt. Among those twelve buildings, Bitchu Matsuyama is the only one to be a yamajiro, meaning a moutaintop castle isolated from the rest of the city, and it is also the castle with the highest elevation above sea level in Japan (430 meters). The keep, the two-storied yagura tower and the mud wall have been named National Important Cultural Properties.

The castle is located on a strategic point between san’yo and san’in areas, so its lord has changed many times and it became the scene of Heiran Battle in 1574.

The sea of clouds

雲海

Another Bitchu Matsuyama Castle’s feature is that from autumn to spring, when the weather is good and that there is a significant temperature variation between morning and afternoon, a « sea of clouds » appears. It is a wide layer of white clouds which surronds the mountains and give the impression that the castle is floating in the sky. You can enjoy this sight from an observatory located high in the moutain.

A walk through the moutain

From Fuigo Pass parking lot, it takes about twenty minutes to walk to the castle. To enjoy your walk through the moutain, we recommend you to bring the map showing the location of the several parts of the castle and their description. After walking about ten minutes, you will see the location of « middle drum »’s tower (naka taiko no maru). The tower itself has disappeared. You can take a break here and enjoy a great panorama of Takahashi city and its surrounding mountains.

Bitchu-Matsuyama-Castle

The tower had several roles and was mainly used to store weapons. The drum was used to communicate with the castle and the Maeyama peak’s foot, where there was a « lower drum » (shimo taiko). That was also the place where the lord lived in peacetime, in a building called « onegoya ».

An Impregnable Fortress

Only the stone slabs of main gate’s pillars remain today. From the rust marks left on it, you can imagine how big they were.

The main gate’s site is a perfect illustration of the way mountaintop castles, built for defense, take advantage of their environment. On the right side of the gate stands stratums of imposing stone walls that are being mixed up with the mountainside. On the top of these walls stands mud walls pierced with arrow slits from which archers fired the ennemies who were approaching the main gate below. The whole place has a threatening appearence and let you guess why Bitchu Matsuyama castle had the reputation to be an impregnable fortress.

松山城3

After climbing the stairs following the main gate, you will enter the third bailey and you will see the mud wall on your left. A level difference let us distinguish the authentic part from the rebuilt part.

Above the third bailey, there is also a delimited area called umayaguruwa. It is supposed to be the place where horses were tied.

Fron the second bailey, you will see the castle’s keep. Then, you will arrive to the main bailey, where there is the keep and the two-storied yagura tower, both built on a stone foundation. The authentic keep has only two levels, even if, from the outside, it seems to be built on three levels.

Bitchu-Matsuyama-Castle

Inside the Castle

After Meiji Restoration (1869) and the abolition of the feudal system, the castle has been neglected for a long time, but restoration work took place before the Second World War. Pictures of this work are exhibited on the ground floor, on which you can see junior high school students carrying material (essentially tiles) through the mountain.

On the ground floor you can also find the room where the lord entrenched himself with his family during sieges. It was here that he practiced the ritual suicide in case of defeat. On the same floor there is the irori, a sunken fireplace. As the lord itself did not live in the castle, it is supposed to has been used not to cook but to warm the place. It is rare to see this type of installation in Japanese castles.

On the second floor you can see the go-shadan, a shinto altar.

A New Castle Lord

城主・三十郎

Even if domains and lords do not exist anymore in Japan, a new lord has recently taken possession of Bitchu Matsuyama Castle. During your visit, you could have a chance to meet Sanjuro, a great-looking cat who made the castle his home after the torrential rains that hit Takahashi in July 2018. Even if sometimes he leaves his property for private affairs, castle’s visitors often see him going around or having a nap in the sun. 

Opening hours

From April to September : 09 : 00 - 17 : 30

From October to March : 09 : 00 - 16 : 30

Close from 29 December to 3 January

Admission

Adults : 300 yen

Elementary and Junior high school students : 150 yen

Groups of 30 people and more : 10% off

Groups of 100 people and more : 20% off

Admission is free for the following persons :

  • Takahashi’s Elementary and Junior high school students who visit the castle on Saturdays, Sundays, national holidays or outside opening hours.
  • People aged 65 and over who live in Takahashi.
  • People with a Disability Certificate and one accompanying person.

Access

From Bitchu Takahashi Station to the Sea of Clouds Observatory :

Fare : 2000 yens per person for a round-trip ticket

A shared taxi connects Bitchu Takahashi Station to the observatory from October 1st to March 31st. Reservations are possible until 5pm the day before your visit. You can call the Takahashi City Tourist Center (0866-22-8666, open from 9 :00am to 5pm), or you can also directly go to the Tourist Center, on the Takahashi Library’s first floor (the entrance is located in the railway station).

Timetable: 

  •  The taxi going to the observatory leaves Bitchu Takahashi Station at 7 : 30 am (arrival 7 : 50 am) and 8 : 00 am (arrival 8 : 20 am)

  •  Return taxi leaves the observatory at about 8 : 20 am (arrival 8 : 40 am) and  8 : 50 am (arrival 9 : 10 am)

From Bitchu Takahashi Station to Bitchu Matsuyama Castle :

There are three ways to go to the castle.

(We recommend you to wear shoes and clothes suited for outdoor activities.)

1/ On foot :

It takes about one hour and a half to reach the castle.

2/ By shared-taxi :

Fare : 600 yens per person for a one way ticket

Reservations are possible until 5pm the day before your visit. You can call the Takahashi City Tourist Center (0866-22-8666, open from 9 :00am to 5pm), or you can also directly go to the Tourist Center, on the Takahashi Library’s first floor (the entrance is located in the railway station).

Bitchu Takahashi Station → Fuigo Pass parking lot :  9 : 00 11 : 20, 12 : 50 et 14 : 20

Fuigo Pass parking lot → Bitchu Takahashi Station : 11 : 40, 13 : 10, 14 : 40, 16 : 10

3/ By bus :

One way ticket : 160 yen

During April, May, September, October and November, a bus connects Bitchu Takahashi Station to Shiromibashi Park parking lot on saturdays, sundays and national holidays. The bus center is above Bitchu Takahashi Station. 

Takahashi Bus Center → Shiromibashi Park parking lot : 9 : 00, 11 : 00, 13 :00, 15 :00

Shiromibashi Park parking lot → Takahashi Bus Center : 10 : 30, 11 : 15, 13 : 15, 15 : 15, 16 : 50 (only during october and november), 17 : 50 (only during april, may and september)

From Shiromibashi Park parking lot, you can walk to the castle (it takes approximately one hour). You can also take a shuttle bus to Fuigo Pass (400 yens for a round-trip ticket) and walk to the castle from this point.

By car :

Only the Shiromibashi Park parking lot is accessible to private vehicles. From Shiromibashi, you can walk to the castle (it takes about one hour). You can also take a shuttle bus to Fuigo Pass (400 yens for a round-trip ticket) and walk to the castle from this point.