Walking route
Castle Hopping: Marugame Castle Route Map (October 2026)
This route map follows the path I walked around Marugame Castle, in photos. After lunch at Ikkaku near Marugame Station, it goes through the Ote Gate, the Mikaeri-zaka slope, the keep in the Honmaru, all the way to the stone wall restoration site, in the order I walked.
📝 Read the main article → Castle Hopping: Marugame Castle (October 2026)
29 stops
The route I walked
After a meal at Ikkaku, I took the bus to the castle and climbed Mikaeri-zaka from the Ote Gate to the keep. I then viewed the stone wall restoration site from above and below, visited the Ote Ichi-no-mon Gate, and walked through the shopping arcade back towards the station.
- Ikkaku → Bus from the station → Moat
- Ote Gate → Mikaeri-zaka → Sannomaru North Wall
- Tsukimi Yagura site → Ninomaru → Honmaru
- Inside the keep and its top floor
- Restoration site from above → Slope down from Sannomaru
- Restoration site at the foot of the hill → Displays and viewing path
- Ote Ichi-no-mon Gate → Moat → Shopping arcade towards the station
📝 Read the main article → Castle Hopping: Marugame Castle (October 2026)
Marugame Castle: Basic Information
AddressIchibancho, Marugame City, Kagawa Prefecture
AdmissionCastle grounds free / Keep 400 yen for adults, free for junior high school students, younger
HoursCastle grounds open at all times / Keep 9:00–16:30 (last entry 16:00)
ClosedThe keep is open every day of the year (may close temporarily)
AccessAbout 10–15 minutes on foot from JR Marugame Station to the Ote Gate. You can also take the Marugame community bus (200 yen) from the station (as of October 2026)
HighlightsJapan's tallest stone walls by total height, one of the 12 original castle keeps, the Ote Ichi-no-mon Gate plus the Ote Ni-no-mon Gate (both Important Cultural Properties)
Castle seals / stampsThe gojoin (castle seal) plus the castle card are sold at the keep. The 100 Fine Castles stamp is inside the keep (as of October 2026)
Suggested TimeAbout 2 hours at a relaxed pace, including the inside of the keep plus the stone wall restoration site
NotesRestoration of the stone walls that collapsed in the heavy rain of 2018 is under way, with completion planned for the end of March 2031 (as of October 2026). The work area is off limits, so you view it from outside the fence
Solo Visit NoteThe slopes in the grounds, plus the stairs inside the keep, are very steep, so comfortable shoes are a must. On rainy days it gets slippery with plenty of mud, so waterproof shoes will put your mind at ease. At the keep, a staff member explained things kindly, so even on my own I could take my time enjoying it. On the way back, the shopping arcade lets you get near the station without getting wet, even in the rain.
