1. Home
  2. Chugoku
  3. Okayama
  4. Takahashi
  5. Places
  6. Bitchu Matsuyama Castle
Castle · Okayama · Chugoku

Bitchu Matsuyama Castle

備中松山城

Mountain castle built in 1240 and rebuilt in 1331 on its current location, retaining its tenshu, Nijū yagura, and section of defensive walls.

Bitchū Matsuyama Castle
Bitchū Matsuyama Castle © by Reggaeman, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Opening hours
Mon–Sun09:00–17:30
Holidays09:00–17:30
Admission
EveryoneFree
Links
Official websiteEnglish · Japanese
Access
1, Uchisange, Takahashi-Shi, Okayama 〒 716-0004Bitchū-Takahashi Station 備中高梁 (Hakubi Line)Walk 80 minutes

Matsuyama Castle is a castle located in Matsuyama, Japan. It was originally built on a nearby mountain in 1240 AD by Akiba Shigenobu, but was later rebuilt on its current site on Mount Gagyū in 1331 by Takahashi Muneyasu. The castle was enlarged and extended by Mimura Motochika, who used it to defend against the Amako clan. In 1600, it became part of the Bitchū-Matsuyama Domain and was repaired by officers of the Tokugawa shogunate. In the Edo period, the castle was ruled by several different lords, including the Mizunoya, Andō, and Ishikawa clans. After the Meiji Restoration, the castle fell into disrepair and was partly destroyed, but restoration work began in 1929. Today, only a short section of wall, the Nijū yagura, and the tenshu remain standing.

At Hey Japan!, we strive to keep the places listed on our website as current as possible. However, location owners or management may alter opening times or modify admission requirements without prior notice. Check official websites before visiting.

Advertisement
Keep exploring

You might also like

Castle

Hiroshima Castle

A 16th-century castle destroyed in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945, reconstructed in 1958 and now serving as a museum documenting the city's history.

Hiroshima
Castle

Aoba Castle (Sendai Castle)

Fortress without a traditional keep, reflecting Tokugawa political order and built as a luxurious residential palace to demonstrate authority and wealth.

Sendai · Miyagi
Castle

Mito Castle Ruins

Medieval castle ruins in Mito showcasing the prominence of the Tokugawa clan's Mito branch during the Edo period, with remaining moats, gates, and adjacent Kodokan school structure.

Mito · Ibaraki
Festival

Himeji Castle Festival

Three-day festival featuring outdoor Noh theatre performances, classical arts, historical pageantry, and family activities across Himeji Castle grounds.

22–24 May 2027Himeji · Hyogo
Festival

Benkei Matsuri

Tanabe in Wakayama holds a two-day festival for Benkei, the warrior monk it claims as its own, with a play at the shrine and 600 dancers in wooden clogs.

2–3 Oct 2026Tanabe · Wakayama
Illumination

Aichi Nagoya Art & Lights

A free after-dark light show projecting digital art onto two of Nagoya's historic "imperial crown style" civic landmarks, near Nagoya Castle.

17 Sep – 24 Oct 2026Nagoya · Aichi
Advertisement