Kaminoyama Castle Museum

Kaminoyama Castle (also known as Tsukioka Castle) is said to have been built by Takei (Ei) Yoshitada in 1535 in Tenjinmori, Tsukioka.

During the Warring States period, it was the southernmost fortress of the Mogami clan and was the scene of battles with the Date and Uesugi clans in Yonezawa.

During the Edo period (1603-1867), the castle became the residence of successive lords of the Mogami clan, but it was under the Toki clan’s rule that the castle, including the castle town, was developed, and the magnificent fortifications of the time were known as the “famous castle of Hashu.

However, in 1692 (Genroku 5), when the Toki clan was transferred to another domain, the castle was demolished by order of the shogunate, and today only a portion of the moat remains.

The present Kaminoyama Castle was rebuilt in 1982 for the first time in 290 years as a local museum with a castle-style exterior.

The castle has a variety of exhibits including videos, a corner for playing old games such as kendama and karuta, and an observatory (castle tower) from which visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the city and the Zao mountain range.

At the “Kakashi Jaya” (scarecrow teahouse), a Kaminoyama Castle store, you can purchase original goods and souvenirs of Kaminoyama City.

Also, “Kaminoyama Castle Footbath” is located on the site, and visitors can freely enter the footbath while enjoying the view of the Zao Mountain Range.