Kakegawa Castle, a compact hilltop castle on the old Tokaido highway between Edo and Kyoto, was rebuilt in 1994 as Japan’s first castle keep reconstructed authentically in wood using traditional methods, rather than the concrete used at most modern reconstructions. The site also preserves its original goten palace building, one of only a handful of surviving castle palaces in Japan, giving visitors a rare combination of a faithful wooden keep and genuine Edo-period administrative halls in one visit.
🗓️ At a Glance
| Location | Kakegawa, Shizuoka |
| Hours | ~9:00–17:00 |
| Admission | Around ¥410 (keep and palace) |
| Time needed | 1–1.5 hours |
| Best time | Spring for cherry blossoms; year-round otherwise |
What to See
- Japan’s first authentically wooden-rebuilt castle keep (1994).
- The original goten palace, one of few surviving in Japan.
- Views over Kakegawa from the compact hilltop keep.
- Cherry blossoms around the castle grounds in spring.
Combine Your Visit
- Combine with Shizuoka Green Tea , grown around Kakegawa.
- Pair with Hamamatsu Unagi further west.
- Read our Shizuoka overview .
Getting There
- By train: JR/Shinkansen to Kakegawa Station, roughly a 10-minute walk.
- By car: parking available near the castle grounds.
Tips
Don’t skip the goten palace beside the keep — original castle palaces are rarer than keeps in Japan, and this one’s tatami administrative rooms are a genuine Edo-period survival. The wooden keep’s interior stairs are steep in the traditional style, and its compact size makes this an easy stop directly on the Shinkansen line.
