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Takeda Castle - “The Castle in the Sky”

©︎Asago City, Hyogo Prefecture

HOME > Japan’s Local Treasures > Takeda Castle - “The Castle in the Sky”

Travel back to three different eras in Asago

Asago City

Asago, in Hyogo Prefecture, boasts significant historical sights from three different eras. Its ancient Awaga Shrine is believed to have been founded 2,000 years ago, and its 5th-century chief Charasuriyama Kofun burial mound is one of the largest in the Kansai region.

The stone foundations of Takeda Castle, once a crucial mountaintop stronghold, stand as a reminder of the hard-fought samurai battles of the Sengoku Period (1467 to 1615) civil war. Often called “The Castle in the Sky,” it looms majestically over drifts of early morning autumn fog as if floating on clouds.

Fast forward to Japan’s industrial revolution and wander the Ikuno Silver Mine’s network of tunnels. Originally established in the 16th century and later modernized by the French engineer Jean Francisque Coignet, the mines played an important role in the modernization of Japan.