1. Home
  2. Kyushu
  3. Miyazaki
  4. Miyakonojo
  5. Places
  6. Gassanhiwa Castle
Castle · Miyazaki · Kyushu

Gassanhiwa Castle

月山日和城

Hill-top castle built over 650 years ago, serving as residence for multiple clan lords and completed during the Sengoku period.

Updated 2026/07/12
Gassanhiwa Castle in Miyakonojo, Miyazaki
Gassanhiwa Castle in Miyakonojo, Miyazaki © きじばる, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Admission
Everyone Free
Access
2643, Takajocho Oide, Miyakonojo City, Miyazaki
〒 885-1203How to get there
Nearest stationYamanokuchi Station
山之口Nippo Main Line51 min walk from the station
Nearest bus stop高城中町2 min walk from the bus stop

Gassanhiwa Castle is a type of castle known as Yamashiro, which is built on a hill. It was built more than 650 years ago by Kaneshige Kimotsuki. Throughout its history, the castle served as the residence for multiple clan lords and was frequently at the center of conflicts. The current layout of the castle is believed to have been completed during the Sengoku period, and it encompasses an area of approximately 4 hectares. During the Army Special Major Exercise in 1935, the castle was used as an Outdoor Inspectorate and Emperor Showa observed the exercise from there.

Getting There

Map: Getting to Gassanhiwa Castle. Legend: Nippo Main Line; Nichinan Line; Miyazaki Kuko Line; Bus from Miyakonojo. Labelled stations: Minami-Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Kumamoto, Miyazaki Airport, Tayoshi, Yamanokuchi, Miyakonojo.

Planning a trip? Fit this into a trip and Oni plans the rest around it.

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.

Part ofCastles
TagsCastles
Keep exploring

You might also like

Castle

Aya Castle

A wooden replica of a 14th-century castle built in 1985 that now serves as a museum displaying artifacts and historical information.

Aya · Miyazaki
Castle

Obi Castle

Obi Castle, ruled by the Ito clan for centuries, was completely refurbished in the late 1970s along with its surrounding castle town.

Nichinan · Miyazaki
Castle

Kakunodate Castle Remains

Early seventeenth-century castle ruins where the Ashina clan held their regional stronghold, with surviving stone walls and moats now a public park.

Semboku · Akita
Festival

Miyazaki Jingu Grand Festival

Miyazaki's largest festival honors Emperor Jimmu with a grand autumn procession of portable shrines and floats reenacting the legendary emperor's journey.

31 Oct – 1 Nov 2026Miyazaki
Festival

Sengoku Chronicle: The Battle of Kawanakajima

A re-enactment on a river bed in Fuefuki, Yamanashi, where about seven hundred people in armour refight Takeda Shingen against Uesugi Kenshin.

8 Nov 2026Fuefuki · Yamanashi
Festival

Kaikai Yokai Festival

Uzumasa Kyoto Village (Toei Kyoto Studio Park) fills with yokai every autumn: two evening parades, dance shows, daily yokai greetings and limited yokai food.

12 Sep – 29 Nov 2026Kyoto