Maruoka Castle

📖 This is one of the “12 remaining Tenshu” (historical castles). In there you will be able to get to know more about its unusual techniques to build it, history of how they restored the castle after earthquake, and most importantly to touch and feel the building yourself, from the base of well-fitted stones up to the wooden structures, it’s literally an art given the technology back then 400+ years ago.

🎟 Entry ticket contains castle visit along two other indoor museums (History museum and the “Brief message from the heart museum”)

It’s definitely an underrated castle to visit in Japan, highly recommended.

🅿 Parking: It’s easy to get a parking slot down at the entrance during weekdays, there’s 40 parking space. Further parking spaces are located at the other museum which is just 3mins walk away. (You may visit the official website to find out more)

"Maruoka Castle (丸岡城) stands as a testament to Japan's rich feudal history, offering visitors a glimpse into the country's storied past. Nestled amidst lush greenery in Fukui Prefecture, this well-preserved castle boasts impressive architectural features and scenic views of the surrounding landscape. From the imposing stone walls to the elegant wooden structures, every corner of Maruoka Castle exudes an aura of ancient grandeur. Whether you're exploring its historic grounds or admiring the cherry blossoms in spring, a visit to Maruoka Castle is an unforgettable journey back in time."

Amazing place to see! I can here the right time. The cherry blossom is amazing g and definitely made the place 100x more prettier.

Thank you for maintaining and reporting thai castle.

Tourists, please follow, respect, and take care of this place when you visit so future generations can also see this historic place.

Maruoka castle is one of the twelve original castles left in Japan and maybe one of the least visited due to its location. There is only a model of the castle on the first floor of the keep, the rest of the building is empty. You have to take off your shoes when you enter but slippers are provided. The staircases are really steep, there are ropes to help you. From the top you can see over the whole of Sakai City.

Beautiful blossoms, should be in full bloom soon, they are really close right now. Delicious festival.

Smaller than some other Japanese castles, but still offers a beautiful view of Fukui and the grounds are great to explore. The museum close by can be accessed with a combination ticket and is a quick but fun way to learn some of the local history

[Maruoka Castle] This is one of the oldest castle in Japan with history back to 1576. It is a small castle surrounded by a quiet community. Foundation of this castle was built by stacked rocks. These rocks were stacked with mild curvatures on the four sides of the castle foundation. That provided better durability bearing the three-floor building on the top.
Don’t forget to make a stop at "Brief Message from the Heart Museum" just across the street.

A lovely castle with beautiful dark woods and one of the oldest donjon in Japan. Originally built and used by Shibata Katsutoyo a famous general of the Sengoku era. The castle and museum come on a ticket together with a folk history building with various items of the Sengoku era. The castle has ropes next to the hand rails which make the climb up the three levels easy and fun. The views are spectacular. I will let you see those for yourself. The ice cream shop in the parking lot has excellent ice cream as well.

The castle was neat to visit, even if it was small and not easy to get to from most major cities. The great thing was how friendly and helpful the staff and local residents were, even though it was clear we were taxing their English (way better than our Japanese will ever be). We had to visit late on a bad weather day, but they were doing everything they could to make us feel welcome. Although it lacks some of the detailed historical and museum content and displays that other castles have (the original layout diorama was the highlight), it has all the original and authentic feel you should expect from visiting a piece of 450-year old history.

A gem in Fukui City, totally recommend to visit, the castle history is amazing, beautiful surroundings and fully open to explore.

I was extremely lucky to have gone when there was a special event happening at the Castle. The community at Maruoka Castle is very welcoming. There are local guides that speak English and they are excited to share their knowledge and love for the castle.

The view from The castle was stunning. Although the castle isn’t too big, It was quite adventurous climbing up the castle and we had a lot of fun.

Beautiful japanese castle. Worth the visit if you are interested in history and Samurai.

Very beautiful and you can go inside the entire castle to the very top which is quite nice. (Steep steep stairs with a rope)

Small entry fee.

Nothing has changed.
As if it was built 10 years ago.

Well maintained old structure
View is very nice and staff is good

Impressive with great views of the surrounding area. Warning stairs are steep with no railing.

Said to be the oldest castle in Japan. The climbs up the steep wooden ladders give a sense of how life may have been for its original inhabitants. At only 200 yen for admission, it was a wonderful cultural experience.

Beautiful little Castle. Grounds are well kept and the staff is very nice.

A majestic castle that stood on elevated ground.