Koriyama Castle Ruins

Koriyama Castle stood in what is now Yamatokoriyama, Nara Prefecture (not to be confused with Koriyama City in Fukushima). Tsutsui Junkei built it in 1580, and Toyotomi Hidenaga, younger brother of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, greatly expanded it into the seat of a major domain. Several lords held it in the Edo period, the last being the Yanagisawa clan, who ruled from here until the Meiji Restoration.

The inner moat and much of the stone walling survive. The Otemon gate and two turrets have been rebuilt, and an observation deck completed in 2017 on the keep base (tenshudai) looks out over the town. Look for the upside-down jizo (sakasa jizo) set into the walls, one of many stones gathered from the area to build them.

With around 600 trees, the castle is one of Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots, and it is listed among the Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles. The grounds were designated a National Historic Site in 2022. On weekends and holidays, volunteer guides give free stone-wall tours from 10:00 to 16:00. It is about a 7-minute walk from Kintetsu-Koriyama Station and 15 minutes from JR Koriyama Station.