Tsurugajo Castle

Tsuruga-jo

Japan’s only castle with elegant red tiled roofs

Tsuruga Castle, also known as Aizu Castle or Aizuwakamatsu Castle, is famed as an impregnable fortress that withstood a month-long siege by the newly formed government during the Boshin war in 1868.


The castle has undergone additional repairs since being reconstructed in 1965. Reroofing work was completed in 2011 to reproduce the look of the 17th century castle. Selected as one of Japan’s most famous 100 castles, it is the only existing castle with red tiled roofs in Japan. The stone walls of the castle tower survived the devastating 1611 earthquake and today stand in their original form.


The castle keep is now open as a museum and visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the city of Aizuwakamatsu from the top floor. After exploring the castle, the tearoom “Rinkaku” in the Tsuruga Castle Park, built by the tea master Sen no Rikyu’s son-in-law, is the perfect place to enjoy a cup of tea in the castle’s traditional garden.


Tsuruga Castle Park is famous for its thousand cherry blossom trees illuminated at night. The surrounding trees are also illuminated in autumn to show off the vividly changing colours of their leaves. Meanwhile the castle fills with visitors during the “Aizue Candle Festival” each winter. The view of the snow-covered castle illuminated by traditional hand-decorated candles is unforgettable!


A thematic journey in the Tohoku region:Castles・Samurai

General Information

Address
福島県会津若松市追手町1-1
Prices
Admission to the castle tower
Adults: 410 yen
Children: 150 yen
Opening Times
[Tsurugajo Castle Keep opening hours] 8:30-17:00
*Final entry at 16:30
Official Website
https://samurai-city.jp/en/sightseeing/1287
Word-of-mouth
Reviews (TripAdvisor)

Contact

Contact
Tsurugajo Castle Management Office
Telephone Number
0242-27-4005