Maruoka Castle claims to the oldest of the 12 original castles still in existence in Japan. I say “claims” because their signage all says so but they are not the only castle (I’m looking at you Inuyama and Matsumoto) to state the fact. 2018 has been the year of the castle and I’ve been pilgraming around to get you all the details. How to get there, what not to miss, and which are the best (in my opinion).
Maruoka Castle Claim to the Original 12 Japanese Castles
Built in 1576, it was knocked down by a massive earthquake in 1948. However, it was rebuilt with 80% of the original materials so it still counts as one of the originals. 80 percent solution?
Myth and Legend
There are a few legends surrounding this castle. One, it’s haunted. Oddly, in my opinion, by a woman. I would think as it’s a place of war, the haunting would be a given but I think only samurai. Second, it has a nickname. 霞ヶ城, Kasumigajyou, Mist Castle because supposedly, when enemies approached it, it would get covered in a thick mist. That’s a pretty convienent trick. She’s pretty out on the open in the plain.
Maruoka Castle Details
Like some of the other castles, looks are deceiving. From the outside, it appears to be two stories, where as inside there are three. The stairs are something else in this one though. More a ladder at 67 degree angle. Be cautious when you are climbing!
There is an English recording inside the castle on repeat that gives you some of the details of the castle. One being the unique stone roof, instead of tiles. The Shakudani stones are only located in Fukui prefecture.
I think this is one of the best castles for extra details. The koi pond was one of the best I’ve seen. Kasumigajo Park was built as commemoration of the 400th year of the castles construction.
The museum
Along with your admission to the castle, you can go into the Folk Museum at the bottom of the hill that has relics found from the castle. In Japanese, but worth a look.
Getting to Maruoka Castle
You may be tempted to take the train to Maruoka Station. There is a bus from there supposedly, but I wasn’t able to get a good enough time table on it and believe it only runs early in the morning. The walk is about 4km from Maruoka station so if you need a walk for the day, it’s still not a deal breaker.
Better is to get off at Fukui Station and take bus number 36 or 39. They run all day and their last stop is the castle so its fairly straight forward. Give yourself a little over an hour to make it from Fukui City to Sakai City, where the castle is located. There is also bus number 31 but it leaves very early in the morning. If you want to hit the castle first thing, I think it’s trip is faster.
Getting There – Bus Timetables
If you’ve been following along, you know it’s sometimes next to impossible to find bus timetables. So voila! Here you have them for getting from Fukui Station to Maruoka Castle.
You alight at platform number 1. You will find this map there.
This is the weekday schedule. Look where it says “Maruoka Castle”.
Weekend and Holiday Schedule. Look where it says “Maruoka Castle”.
