Takeda Castle Ruins

Takeda Castle (Takeda-jo) is a ruined castle in the city of Asago, in the northern part of Hyōgo Prefecture. The castle was originally built in 1411 and was later conquered by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Situated 353 meters above sea level, it is regarded as one of Japan's Top 100 Castles, and often referred to locally as the "Machu Picchu of Japan". No buildings are left standing on the castle grounds, but the foundations are still largely intact. With the right weather conditions during the autumn and winter, a white sea of clouds occur around the high grounds, creating a divine view that will take your breath away. Thus, it’s also called “Castle in the sky”, and is definitely one of the must-see sites in Hyogo prefecture. The best time to view the floating castle is in October and November around sunrise (6:00 to 6:30) when a sea of clouds can be seen at an average of one in three mornings.

From Kyoto [about 1 hour 50 min.]

Rail Kyoto Station -> Limited Expressway (via San-in line) -> Wadayama Station

From Osaka [about 2 hours and 10 min.]

Rail Osaka Station -> Limited Express (via Fukuchiyama Line) -> Wadayama Station

From Kobe [about 2 hours]

Rail Kobe Station -> Limited Express (via Bantan Line) -> Wadayama Station

From Himeji [about 1 hour 10 min.]

Rail Himeji Station -> Limited Express (via Bantan Line) -> Wadayama Station

Access to Takeda Castle:

Take JR Bantan line at JR Wadayama Station, get off at JR Takeda Station (approx.7 minutes) and take the mountain road by the south. Be aware that it is a mountain trail, so please wear appropriate shoes. For the courageous ones, you can hike to the top (about one hour). There are three tracks: the track behind the station, the one behind the temple and the south path.