Takayama Castle (Hiroshima)

History

The castle was built by Kobayakawa Shigehira in the Muromachi Period. It was besieged for six years by a rival branch of the Kobayakawa in the Onin Wars and also attacked by the Amako in 1543. Kobayakawa Takakage built a new castle called Niitakayama Castle ("New Takayama Castle") across the valley in 1551 and Takayama Castle was abandoned.

Visit Notes

There are multiple routes up to this mountaintop castle, but if you're traveling by train, the one nearest the station works fine. The trailhead may be a little bit hard to find. I asked one local, who did not even know where the trailhead was, but we managed to find it together. If you follow the map or look at the locations of the photos on the map below, you should find find some signs pointing the way to the castle. The trail to the top, however, is narrow, sandy, and slippery. Good hiking shoes and a trekking pole or walking stick are highly recommended. There were some bamboo poles set out at the trailhead, take one if you don't have any with you. The castle itself blew away my expectations. I really think it should be as as highly regarded as Niitakayama Castle across the valley. There are two strings of baileys across two ridges. You should be able to see it well on the map of photos below. There are some great views, trenches, and some stonework scattered throughout. The layout looks fairly simple, but even with the map I got disoriented at one point and scrambled up a steep side to on one part I had already been to. The top of the mountain is heavily covered in brush but the volunteers who maintain the site are miracle workers keeping some trails and baileys clear for you to enjoy the site. I would still avoid summer months, however, it is impossible to keep weeds in check year round.

Loading map...

Gallery

Demaru Bailey
Road near the trailhead. Follow the green signs.
Trail splits, either way is about the same, but right is steeper
Part of the narrow trail
Small bailey
Trench
Horikiri trench
Horikiri trench and stone wall remains
Horikiri trench of the Demaru bailey
Demaru Bailey
Demaru Bailey, trench and embankment
Demaru Bailey, trench and embankment
Demaru Horikiri trench and stone wall remains
Stonework remains
Iwaomaru Bailey
Iwaomaru Bailey
Iwaomaru Bailey
Mushabashiri - small land bridge between 2 baileys
Gongenmaru Bailey
View of Niitakayama Castle
Gongenmaru Bailey
Stone walls of the terraced baileys in the valley
Stone walls of the terraced baileys in the valley
Stone walls of the terraced baileys in the valley
Stone walls of the terraced baileys in the valley
Stone walls of the terraced baileys in the valley
Stone walls of the terraced baileys in the valley
Stepped baileys
Stone walls
Stone walls
Ougi Bailey
Ougi Bailey
Ougi Bailey
Ougi Bailey
Route to the Honmaru
Honmaru Bailey
Honmaru Bailey
Naka-no-dan Bailey
Ninomaru Bailey
Ninomaru
Ninomaru Bailey
Ninomaru stone walls
Ninomaru stone walls
Ninomaru stone walls
Ninomaru stone walls
Kitanomaru Bailey
Kitanomaru stone walls
Kitanomaru Bailey
Kitanomaru Stone Wall
Valley between ridges
Takayama Castle on the right, Niitakayama Castle on the left

Castle Profile
English Name	Takayama Castle (Hiroshima)
Japanese Name	高山城（広島）
Alternate Names	Furutakayama-jo, Aki Takayama-jo, Tsumatakayama-jo
Founder	Kobayakawa Shigehira
Year Founded	1206
Castle Type	Mountaintop
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Designations	National Historic Site
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Features	trenches, stone walls
Visitor Information
Access	Hongo Sta. (Sanyo Line); 20 min walk to trailhead
Visitor Information	mountain, open any time
Time Required	140 mins
Website	https://www.city.mihara.hiroshima.jp/uploaded/attachment/40754.pdf
Location	Mihara, Hiroshima Prefecture
Coordinates	34° 25' 6.46" N, 132° 59' 3.48" E
Loading map... {"type":"TERRAIN","minzoom":false,"maxzoom":false,"types":["ROADMAP","SATELLITE","HYBRID","TERRAIN"],"mappingservice":"googlemaps","width":"auto","height":"200px","centre":false,"title":"","label":"","icon":"Castlemarker.png","lines":[],"polygons":[],"circles":[],"rectangles":[],"copycoords":false,"static":false,"visitedicon":"","wmsoverlay":false,"zoom":6,"layers":[],"controls":[""],"zoomstyle":"DEFAULT","typestyle":"DEFAULT","autoinfowindows":false,"resizable":false,"kmlrezoom":false,"poi":true,"cluster":false,"clustergridsize":60,"clustermaxzoom":20,"clusterzoomonclick":true,"clusteraveragecenter":true,"clusterminsize":2,"imageoverlays":[],"kml":[],"gkml":[],"searchmarkers":"","fullscreen":false,"scrollwheelzoom":false,"locations":[{"text":"","title":"","link":"","lat":34.418461111111,"lon":132.9843,"icon":"../images/1/1e/Castlemarker.png"}]}
Admin
Added to Jcastle	2019
Contributor	Eric
Admin Year Visited	2018
Admin Visits	November 8, 2018

3.00

(one vote)

Enable comment auto-refresher