In the rain, I struggled all the way up a really steep slope. At the top, a towering stone wall was waiting right in front of me. The slope is called Mikaeri-zaka, the “Look-Back Slope”, yet I never once looked back on the way up (lol). Once again, it was a perfect day.
🗺️ See the route I walked in photos → Castle Hopping: Marugame Castle Route Map (October 2026)
What Kind of Castle Is Marugame Castle?
Marugame Castle is a hilltop castle on Mt Kameyama (about 66 metres high) in Marugame City, Kagawa Prefecture. The total height of its stone walls is said to be the tallest in Japan, so it is known as “the castle of stone walls”.
The keep is one of the “12 original castle keeps” that have survived since the Edo period. On top of that, it is apparently the smallest of the twelve.
Then in 2018, heavy rain from the West Japan floods plus a typhoon caused the stone walls on the south-west side to collapse on a large scale. Restoration work is still going on, with completion planned for the end of March 2031.
A Rainy Day in Marugame: Lunch Comes First
When I arrived at Marugame Station, I did not head straight to the castle. Lunch came first (lol). At Ikkaku, right by the station, I had their famous honetsukidori (roasted bone-in chicken leg) in the hinadori (young chicken) style.
I also wanted rice balls, but they come in a big portion, so I was unsure. Then the staff member said, “Let’s just put in the hinadori for now! If you feel you can still eat more, you can add them later. Rice balls come out quickly!” What great advice. So kind! In the end, though, I still did not think I could finish them, so I skipped the rice balls… The hinadori alone filled me up ⭕️ It was delicious!
After lunch, I took the community bus (200 yen) from the station to near the castle. I asked the driver about it when I got on. When I got off, the driver kindly told me the way in detail: “Go this way, then this way, then you’ll see the Ote Gate.”
I walked just as I was told. Across the moat, there were the stone walls, with the keep on top of the hill. This view alone was so soothing.
A Look-Back Slope, Yet I Never Looked Back
Looking Down Under My Umbrella, I Found a Masugata Koguchi
The moat seen from the bridge in front of the Ote Gate is very wide. Through the gate, there is a square space enclosed by stone walls with gates, where the path suddenly turns.
It was raining quite hard that day, so I kept looking down under my umbrella. Even so, I thought, “Hang on, isn’t this a masugata koguchi?” It is a gate entrance built with a deliberate turn, so enemies cannot charge straight in.
A Face-in-Hole Board Is No Fun Alone…
Inside the grounds, there was a face-in-hole board for two people, painted with a samurai plus a princess. The loneliness of travelling solo: I could not enjoy it (sob).
At the Top of a Desperate Climb: The Tall Stone Walls
Then, at last, the Mikaeri-zaka slope. This slope is tough! Every other slope at Marugame Castle is tough too, really tough.
Even though it is called the Look-Back Slope, I was so desperate that I never once turned around. At the top, a tall stone wall was right in front of me, so that was all I could think about. Looking up from its base, the stone wall goes on, on, on into the distance. Breathtaking.
The corners curve outwards more the higher they go (apparently this is called “ōgi no kōbai”, the fan-shaped slope). So cool.
The Tsukimi Yagura Site Is High, Plus a Bit Scary
At the Tsukimi Yagura (Moon-Viewing Turret) site in the south-east corner of the Sannomaru (third enclosure), the view is lovely, but it is quite high, a bit scary… A pretty triangular mountain was visible in the distance. When I looked it up later, it seems it was Sanuki Fuji (Mt Iino). I had not noticed it at all while I was there.
A Small Keep, Yet a Great One
When I reached the Honmaru (main enclosure), there was nothing there except the keep! The white keep stands neatly in the open space.
Inside, the first thing I noticed was how steep the stairs are. The stairs were also what I spent the longest time looking at. When I peeked at the back of them, they did not seem to be set into the floor. “Are they just placed there?!” I could not stop wondering.
The beams with the timber framing in the roof space, the grain of the pillars with the floorboards, the windows with their wooden shutters open. I love details like these. I could look at them forever.
From the lattice windows on the top floor, you can look out over the town of Marugame.
A staff member at the keep kindly explained things to me. I learnt that the keep of Marugame Castle was not a residence. It was more like a watchtower.
Now that I think about it, it really is about the size of a turret. Still, standing on top of the hill, it must surely be a source of pride for the people of Marugame today too. A small keep, yet a great one. I really envy them, having such a lovely castle as part of their everyday lives!
I got the gojoin (castle seal), the 100 Fine Castles stamp, plus the castle card, all at the keep.
Stones Waiting Their Turn
Looking down from around the keep, I saw two cranes, scaffolding, slopes covered in sheets, plus rows upon rows of stones. This is the site where the stone walls that collapsed in 2018 are being restored. It was much bigger than I had imagined. Honestly, I was shocked. Apparently, for the collapse in October that year, a nearby resident noticed a strange sound coming from the stone wall, then reported it. How frightening…
I went down the wet, steep slope at a snail’s pace, scared of slipping, to the site at the foot of the hill.
From outside the fence, I could see large stones with numbered tags lined up in rows. Truly, stones waiting their turn.
According to the information board, there is a matching system that finds where each stone originally sat. I wondered if this was only in Marugame, so I looked it up. A similar system is used at Kumamoto Castle too. The faces of stones waiting their turn look the same at every castle. As cute as ever.
It was a day off, so the craftsmen were not working. Just like at Fukuoka Castle, I missed seeing the work in progress yet again… a little disappointing. Before I knew it, my camera roll was full of almost identical photos (lol).
Summary
On the way back, I went inside the Ote Ichi-no-mon Gate, also known as the Taiko-mon (Drum Gate). Looking at the Ote Gate through the window, I imagined an enemy attack (lol).
Taking one last look at the moat, I peered down at the water’s edge. The carp came rushing towards me. Maybe they thought I had food. A bit scary.
I had my umbrella up all day. My socks got wet, there was mud everywhere… Honestly, nothing good came of the rain. I am thinking of buying waterproof trainers. Still, on the way back, I crossed at the pedestrian crossing in front of Don Quijote, then walked through the shopping arcade beyond it. I got back near the station without getting wet. That is my route from now on.
The staff member at Ikkaku, the bus driver, the staff member at the keep. In Marugame, I met so many people who kindly showed me the way. Next time, I hope I can sneak a peek at the craftsmen at work.
