Iwamura Castle
Iwamura is a really delightful castle town deep in the heart of the countryside. If you are interested in old Japanese townscapes like those of the Nakasendo, or cafes and Japanese sweetshops, look no further than Iwamura! This place is pretty much undiscovered by foreign tourists and well worth the trip!
Access is best from the Akechi Railroad (see below).
The castle itself is long gone since 1873. They demolished it and sold off the parts thanks to a law abolishing castles that was enforced. But the town that leads up to the castle remains in wonderful condition and retains a charm rarely found. The beautiful street that once greeted dignitaries, samurai and whoever else visited castles is still incredibly vibrant. There are absolutely tons of small cafes, Japanese sweetshops, antique shops and loads more. It is really something to see. The perfect location for food walk or an eating crawl. There are lots of Edo Period houses and museums that are free and open to the public.
Honestly I think you will be blown away by this place and the quality of the food there too! One for history heads and foodies! There is even a sake brewery where you can learn how it is made.
The other attraction is the castle remains. Sitting on a mountain top, Iwamura Castle is allegedly one of Japan’s top three mountain top castle sites. And the Japanese really like to put things in lists!
But actually the hike up to the castle is really peaceful and beautiful and the view from the top is worth the climb. It is about 2km from the station with a fairly steep slope to climb.
Two legends of the castle:
Snake bones! Iwamura Castle also goes by the name of Kiri-ga-jo, which translates as the castle-of-fog. Legend has it that if snake bones are throne into a particular well (the well-of-fog), then a thick fog will quickly develop around the castle, presumably blinding the enemy and protecting the castle grounds.
The lady of the castle: Towards the end of the warring states period Lady Otsuya was forced to take charge of the castle and its territory. She was forced into this because her husband was a very powerful, but also a very young child (the fifth child of Nobunaga). Hey don’t judge with todays standards! They came under attack and after a long siege, she married the attacker (a general of Takeda Shingen)! Things went well for a while but the war turned again and Nobunaga was back. After a negotiated surrender her and her husband were promised protection but … they were crucified instead. Classic Nobunaga.