Kofu Castle

The peaceful Maizuru Castle Park in central Kofu, close to Kofu Station, holds the ruins of Kofu Castle. Also known as Maizuru Castle, the fortress was constructed in the 1590s on the orders of warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Under the Tokugawa shogunate, which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1867, Kofu’s proximity to Edo (modern-day Tokyo) meant the castle was seen as strategically important. However, after the Meiji Restoration in 1868 and the overthrow of the Tokugawa government, the castle was abandoned and fell into disrepair.

Thanks to preservation and reconstruction efforts throughout the twentieth century, the central bailey (honmaru) of Kofu Castle, and its surrounding areas, opened as a public park in 1964. While much of the moat was filled in, a small section remains visible and some buildings, like the Inari Yagura Turret, have been reconstructed. The ramparts of the castle are believed to be original.

Open 24 hours a day, the park is particularly popular in spring for its abundant cherry blossoms that bloom beside the old castle walls. The castle site is the best way to get a new perspective on Kofu, as there is a lookout point in the center of the park with panoramic views of the city and, on a clear day, Mount Fuji. The large cenotaph inside the central bailey stands at the best lookout point in the park.