During our trip to Japan we used Wakayama as an overnight stopover on the rail journey from Shirahama to Osaka. Since our hotel was a mere 800m away taking the time to visit Wakayama Castle had to happen.
The castle has a long history, having been first built in 1585 and subsequently destroyed and rebuilt numerous times through the years since. The most recent rebuild was in 1958 after it was destroyed by bombing in WWII.
Our Visit to Wakayama Castle
Walking from the direction of the Wakayama JR station we entered the park surrounding the castle and slowly climbed to the peak where the reconstructed castle stands.
Honestly when you start walking along the main path alongside the massive retaining walls that have been in place for centuries it’s very easy to forget you’re also in the middle of a large modern city.
The rich green foliage of spring coupled with the wet weather gave the grounds a tropical feel, one which would contrast to the colours of autumn or early spring as the cherry & plum trees planted throughout are in full flower.
The main paths are wide and in good condition although quite rough in places which result in the odd stumble as your toes catch that one stone protruding a bit higher than the rest. Side paths and “shortcuts” would best be described as rugged; best to retackled with decent walking shoes and one eye on the ground.
As we came to discover through our journey in Japan few of the Castles or Shrines offer “vantage points” for photography or viewing. In hindsight this is because they’re always on the best ground (well duh on me).
As we came to discover through our journey in Japan few of the Castles or Shrines offer “vantage points” for photography or viewing. In hindsight this is because they’re always on the best ground (well duh on me).
Overall the park surrounding the castle is serene with an abundance of bird life. The walk up to the castle from street level is quite long, but also allowed us to see the design features that would have been instrumental in defending the castle in battles. While the castle itself may not be centuries old it presents an accurate image of the design and is far more satisfying than viewing a ruin.