Castles

Mihara Castle Ruins (三原城跡)

The Mihara Castle Ruins are the ruins of the great Mihara Castle that once existed in Mihara City, Hiroshima Prefecture. Although only a part of the castle still exists, such as the castle tower (the stone foundation of the castle tower), the moat surrounding the castle, and the Funairi Tower, it is known as a popular tourist spot visited by most of the tourists who come to Mihara City for sightseeing due to its convenience of being just a short walk from JR Mihara Station. This is one of the few places in Japan where you can see part of the castle ruins from the platform of JR Mihara Station, or even from the JR train.

Moment of Joy

The history of Mihara Castle, where now only the Mihara Castle Ruins remain, is very old, having been built in the mid-16th century by Takahakage Kobayakawa, son of Motonari Mori, Hiroshima’s most famous warrior. It is also known as Japan’s first castle built on the sea, and is sometimes called the “floating castle” because at high tide it appears to be floating on the sea. Today, the area around the castle ruins is maintained as a park, and is a popular place for local residents and tourists visiting Mihara City to take a rest.