Castle Town Fukuchiyama
When a samurai general builds a castle town
Akechi Mitsuhide served as a general under the famous Oda Nobunga, a lord and renowned military tactician who tried to unify Japan. He then rebelled against him.
In 1579, Mitsuhide rebuilt the castle, and even today the original stone wall of the castle remains standing. It is a wall built with large rocks interspersed with local gravestones, hauled to the site by reluctant laborers as “contributions” to the wall. This multi-storied castle also serves as a Local Heritage Museum. There are a lot of exhibits about the castle and area, as well as artifacts on display and historical information.
From the tower, windows face all four cardinal directions and offer views only limited by the range of our vision.
Stone pagodas were also used in the wall. This is a common characteristic of castles connected to Oda Nobunaga, including Azuchi Castle and Nijo Castle.
Visitor Information for Fukuchiyama Castle
TEL: 0773-23-9564
Address: 5, Naiki, Fukuchiyama-shi
what3words address (entrance to tour castle): ///served.travels.locals
hours: 9:00-17:00 (admission until 16:30)
closed: Tuesday (if Tuesday is a holiday the castle is open and will be closed Wednesday)
special closures: 12/28-12/31, 1/4-1/6
cost: 320 yen for adults, child (ES and JHS students) 100 yen
access:15 minutes on foot from Fukuchiyama station
The heart of the castle town
Fukuchiyama is a lively city with a wealth of restaurants and bars residing under the watchful eye of Fukuchiyama Castle. The city is a self-styled “Town of Meat,” with chefs specializing in a variety of meat-based cuisine establishing restaurants here. A lot of the meat they use is local and regional, but with the ocean only a city away, many of the restaurants also serve great seafood as well.
Many specialty dishes in the area use local free range chicken from Kambayashi, as well as locally trapped wild game. Using local products allows restaurants to control the quality of ingredients, and give customers a distinct taste of what it means to eat in Fukuchiyama. Check out the Kyoto by the Sea restaurants page for more information on Fukuchiyama’s variety of restaurants (scroll down for the Fukuchiyama area).
Nightlife
Fukuchiyama has a magical atmosphere at night, and the bar scene is incorporated into the overall legacy of the castle town. With accommodations close to the train station, and everything within walking distance, Fukuchiyama is an easy place to roam for the evening.
Fukuchiyama gets wild
For those who want to go rural, Fukuchiyama is quite large and not limited to the city center. The Oeyama mountain range cuts through this city, and a variety of unique farm stays offer visitors a chance to get into nature, and none of which is too far from the convenient hub of Fukuchiyama station.
For a look at some of the other farm stays in Fukuchiyama (and neighboring Ayabe), check out the link below.
Home to oni
Fukuchiyama is chock full of legends about oni (demons or ogres). In fact, these mountains are home to some of Japan’s most notorious oni.
Fukuchiyama offers a huge range, and is located less than 90 minutes from Kyoto City. If your curiosity is piqued, try reading a bit more in our Kyoto by the Sea Times article, A Samurai General’s Castle Town. Click the Kyoto by the Sea Times logo to read the article as well.
