Bitchu Matsuyama Castle

• Bitchu-Matsuyama Castle History
• Bitchu-Matsuyama Castle Access
• Japanese Castles

Bitchu-Matsuyama Castle 備中松山城

Castle in the Sky - Bitchu-Matsuyama Castle appears to float above the clouds

Bitchu-Matsuyama Castle is perched on the peak of Mount Gagyu on the northern edge of Takahashi City in Okayama Prefecture.

Bitchu-Matsuyama Castle retains much of its original shape from centuries ago, and is the highest mountain castle (yamashiro) in Japan at 478 meters (1,400 feet) above sea level.

The castle is known as the "Castle in the Sky" as it appears to float above the clouds. This phenomenon is best seen from late October to December from dawn to about 8 am. However, the clouds may also be visible from late September to early April depending on the weather.

Takeda Castle in Hyogo Prefecture shares this weather pattern, known in Japanese as unkai ("sea of clouds"). Japan has many spots known for unkai - the top of Mount Fuji is perhaps the best known.

History of Bitchu-Matsuyama Castle

There has been a fortress in this area since 1240, but the present location of the castle actually dates from 1331. The current building on the site dates from 1683 when Mizunoya Katsutaka constructed the two-storey keep or tenshu. This makes it one of Japan's oldest surviving castles.

After the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Bitchu-Matsuyama Castle was partially destroyed, but the keep, the twin turrets, and parts of the earthen walls remained.

The castle has been beautifully restored using traditional techniques since 1929. Parts of the walls and the tenshu keep are originals from the 17th century.

Because much of the castle is preserved from ancient times, the castle was declared a National Treasure in 1941. It was redesignated, according to the revised post-war system, as an important cultural property in 1950.

There are fantastic views of the surrounding Okayama countryside from the keep of Bitchu-Matsuyama Castle.

A view of the walls and castle buildings of Bitchu-Matsuyama
Looking out over the surrounding countryside from the top of Bitchu-Matsuyama Castle

Bitchu-Matsuyama Castle
Admission: 300 yen
Hours: April-September 9 am-5.30 pm; October-March 9 am-4.30 pm. Closed December 29 - January 3.

Bitchu-Matsuyama Castle Access

The nearest station to Bitchu-Matsuyama Castle is Bitchu Takahashi Station on the JR Hakubi Line. From there take a Bihoku bus or taxi for 10 minutes. Visitors must walk up the hill to the castle from the end of the approaching road for around 20 minutes. Walking from the station is around one hour.

There is a shared taxi service (1500 yen per person) from Bitchu Takahashi Station to an observatory for photos of the castle in clouds. This needs to be reserved a day in advance.

Bitchu-Matsuyama Castle is not to be confused with Iyo Matsuyama Castle on Shikoku.

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