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• RaymondW    April 28, 2012 at 09:34 PM
  

  I went to this castle again today. It's the first time that I have been to Yamato-Koriyama Castle outside of the winter months. This place gets overgrown pretty quickly for some of its moats and stone walls. There are lots of cherry trees here, but they have since shed their pink blossoms for lots of green leaves, so the leaves also pretty much prevent a clear view of the ishigaki, particularly the tenshudai (stone base of the former castle keep). However, the trip to this castle ruin was just a warm-up for the arvo trip to Kizu, Kyoto to suss out Kaseyama Castle Ruin, a mountaintop castle that slips under the radar of most Japanese castle and castle ruin books. It is easy to visit both Koriyama Castle and Kaseyama Castle in one day as JR Koriyama and Kizu Stations are only around 15 minutes apart.

• RaymondW    March 05, 2011 at 10:40 PM
  

  I went to Yamato-Koriyama Castle again today. The inside of the main gate (Outemon) and the turret (Outemukai Yagura) that you see in the first photo are definitely wooden reconstructions. They are open to the public until 11th March when the Bonsai Plum Blossom Exhibition ends. I think it is the 8th one, so they may have one of these exhibition every year.

• RaymondW    February 04, 2011 at 02:47 PM
  

  As Furinkazan commented below, the ishigaki of Japanese castles can be (and often are) overgrown with weeds and undergrowth during the warmer months of the year. My visits to this castle has always been in the winter, so no problem with any plant growth obstructing a clear view of all the stonework. BTW, I was at this castle earlier in the week. There is going to be a plum blossom bonsai exhibition here from 5th February to 11th March, 2011. During that time, the interior of the main gate and the turrets will be open to the public. Entry is 450 yen. 9:30 - 4:30 weekdays and 9:30 - 5:00 weekends and public holidays. I will be going back to suss out the interior which is usually closed to the public. I had a closer look at the reconstruction of the yaguras from the outside, and I reckon they are probably rebuilt from wood and not the horrible ferroconcrete stuff.

• RaymondW on My Page    February 04, 2011 at 02:45 PM
  

  There aren't many reconstructed fortifications at this castle ruin site, but the ishigaki, dry and water moats are pretty nice. The castle is also concentrically ringed by moats. Unfortunately, the Kintetsu train line runs right through one of the baileys of this castle ruin. Access is very easy from Kintetsu Koriyama Station, almost an hour by train from Kyoto Station if you take the ones with limited stops. There are also lots of cherry trees here, so it will be quite pretty during cherry blossom season.

• furinkazan on My Page    October 10, 2010 at 05:32 PM
  

  I　got　to this castle today. There is not a lot to see apart from the 2 yagura and the gate. The walls of the baileys are covered with brush and trees. I　encountered a group making a film. They took　a picture of me surrounded by a samurai and a shinobi. I would not go to this castle if i was not in Nara for 2 days(4min with the local train).