It’s no secret that I am in love with Shikoku Island, and one of the many reasons I keep coming back is that it is home to a third of Japan’s 12 remaining original keeps. While reconstructions like Osaka Castle are indeed quite well done, and the museums housed inside do a great job of explaining the history, there is just something raw about seeing one of the original dozen that can’t be replicated. So, on that note, allow me to introduce you to Marugame Castle in Kagawa Prefecture.
If you haven’t heard of Marugame Castle before, you’re likely not alone. The site is sadly overshadowed by Matsuyama Castle down in Ehime Prefecture’s amazing city of Matsuyama. As a result, a lot of people who do make it to Shikoku, already a very minor percentage of overseas tourists, skip right by Marugame Castle while en route. At best, maybe they see it from the train window as they take a Limited Express Shiokaze down to Matsuyama City.
The history of Marugame Castle begins in 1597, when Ikoma Chikamasa and his son Kazumasa began building a stronghold atop Kameyama to secure their rule over Sanuki Province. The original castle was abandoned after the Tokugawa shogunate issued the One Castle Per Province order in 1615, but Yamazaki Ieharu revived the site after becoming the feudal lord of western Sanuki in 1641. His family rebuilt much of the fortress before another clan took control in 1658, completed the surviving keep two years later, and ruled the area for over two centuries.
As you’ll see in a second, Marugame Castle’s claim to fame is its stonework. Several stacked tiers rise roughly 60 meters from the lower grounds to the inner compound, giving Marugame Castle the tallest stone-wall ascent of any fortress in Japan. Above them sits a three-story keep, one of the country’s 12 surviving originals, alongside the Ote-mon gate and remnants of the castle’s architecture from the Edo period (1603–1868). Better yet, the summit offers beautiful views across the Sanuki Plain and the Seto Inland Sea.
Seeing as it’s only about a 15-minute walk from Marugame Station, Marugame Castle is an easy location to slot into any itinerary that takes you past it. Thus, it’s one of the easier of Japan’s 12 remaining original castle keeps to visit. What’s more, there’s plenty to do nearby as well, meaning you can plan an outing to Marugame Castle and use the surrounding area as a base from which to explore the rest of Kagawa Prefecture, or simply visit while traveling elsewhere, as mentioned before.
How to Get There
Before getting into the specifics of Marugame Castle, let’s pause for a second and take a quick look at the logistics of how to get there. Located in Marugame City, the castle grounds are only a short walk from Marugame Station. Thanks to this, it is one of the easiest of the 12 original castles to visit if you ever find yourself nearby in the Sanuki region. Simply put, it would be a real shame for you not to stop and admire its steep stone walls if you’re passing through.
When I visited Marugame Castle, I actually decided to make neighboring Utazu my home base for a multi-day outing into Kagawa Prefecture. However, Marugame Castle is also a great attraction for a quick hop-on and hop-off experience if you are traveling through this section of Shikoku. For example, it is on the way back from Imabari City, meaning that it’s simple to slot it into the return trip to Okayama Station after completing the Shimanami Kaido cycling route.
As always, I encourage you to refer to a service like Jorudan to calculate train times if you’re planning to go to Marugame Castle. The station is serviced by both local trains that travel to and from Takamatsu City, as well as the aforementioned Shiokaze Limited Express that runs all the way over to Matsuyama. Which of these will work best for you? It depends on where you’re starting, but the journey to Marugame Castle always begins with getting to Shikoku in the first place.
At the end of the day, Marugame Castle is one of those places that you add to a greater itinerary through this part of Kagawa Prefecture. As noted on my page covering 60 trip anchors and the question of where to go in Japan, this corner of the Sanuki region is chock full of attractions. Thus, it’s easy to combine Marugame Castle with a few other spots for a multi-day adventure in northern Shikoku.
The Marugame Castle Experience
The Marugame Castle experience begins at the northern Ote-mon gate before the main route turns uphill along Mikaeri-zaka, or the aptly named “Looking-Back Slope.” From there, the path climbs through the lower and middle defensive enclosures before reaching the castle’s inner compound at the summit. The grounds are not especially sprawling, but almost everything is arranged vertically around the hill. As a result, the visit amounts to a steady climb through several successive layers of defenses.
Of course, the stone walls are the main event here. Rather than one continuous 60-meter wall, several stacked tiers climb roughly that distance from the base of the hill to the inner compound. Some individual sections exceed 20 meters, while the famous curves known as Ogi-no-Kobai (lit. the “Folding-fan Slope”) become progressively steeper toward the top. Different construction methods are visible around the grounds, making the climb itself a showcase of early Edo-period (1603–1868) engineering.
Waiting at the summit is Marugame Castle’s compact three-story keep, which was completed in 1660. As one of Japan’s 12 remaining original keeps, the building preserves narrow wooden staircases, gunports, an ishiotoshi stone-dropping opening, thick defensive walls, and floorboards dating from different periods in its long history. A prayer tablet discovered inside the walls provides evidence for the keep’s completion date, while the upper floor looks out across Marugame City, the Sanuki Plain, and the Seto Inland Sea. Small though it may be, this is the real deal.
Marugame Castle is also one of the better-known cherry blossom locations in this part of Kagawa Prefecture. The annual peak bloom usually arrives around late March or early April, with the city monitoring a benchmark tree near the castle’s tourist information center before formally declaring the season underway. A cherry blossom festival is also held around the grounds, although the exact dates naturally change from year to year. Travelers planning a spring visit should therefore check the annual schedule rather than relying on dates from previous seasons.
As for timing, I would budget at least 60 to 90 minutes to explore the grounds, enter the keep, and make the return journey without rushing. Kameyama Park remains open to the public 24 hours, but the keep generally operates from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM, with final admission at 4:00 PM and an entrance fee of a few hundred yen. Marugame Castle is officially around 15 minutes on foot from JR Marugame Station, followed by another 20-minute climb from the Ote-mon gate to the summit.
Beyond the Castle Grounds in Kagawa Prefecture
Those with a full extra day can use Marugame as a jumping-off point for the Shiwaku Islands in the Seto Inland Sea. Marugame Port is only around a six-minute walk from the station, with ferries and passenger boats departing for islands administered by the city. Honjima is the easiest place to begin, as it preserves the Shiwaku Kimbansho, the former administrative headquarters of the Shiwaku seafarers, along with the historic streets of Kasashima and other reminders of the maritime community that once prospered here. Just remember that this is a proper island experience, so check the return ferry before setting off.
For an easier add-on, neighboring Utazu has enough to fill the remainder of the day. Its most conspicuous landmark is Gold Tower, where the Sorakin aquarium combines thousands of goldfish and tropical fish with observation floors overlooking Utazu, the Seto Ohashi bridge system, and the Seto Inland Sea. Nearby, Utazu Seaside Park occupies land once used for salt production and is a popular place to watch the sun sink behind the islands. The same waterfront area is also home to the Shikoku Aquarium, should additional fish-based entertainment be required.
Alternatively, travelers with an appetite for yet another climb can head toward Mt. Iino, the 422-meter peak shared by Marugame and Sakaide. Better known as “Sanuki Fuji,” the mountain earned its nickname from the symmetrical cone that rises above the surrounding plain and is visible from much of the area. Several routes lead upward through broad-leaved forest to a summit containing Yakushi-do, an observation area, and landmarks associated with the local legend of the giant Ojomo. The trailheads are easiest to reach by car, bicycle, or local bus.
Finally, no outing in the Sanuki region is complete without eating Sanuki udon. More than 600 shops operate across the prefecture, and the easiest way to enjoy the local specialty is to compare bowls at two or three locations. Styles range from noodles served simply with soy sauce to kamatama udon, which combines hot noodles with raw egg, while tempura and other side dishes can usually be added from the counter. Plan this portion earlier in the day, though, since many of the more traditional shops close once their daily supply of noodles sells out.
Other Nearby Attractions
As noted earlier, Marugame Castle is remarkably easy to work into a journey along the northern coast of Shikoku Island. Marugame Station sits on the railway corridor connecting Takamatsu with Imabari and Matsuyama, making the castle a practical pit stop whether you are heading west toward Matsuyama City or returning from Imabari after completing the Shimanami Kaido cycling route. Since the castle is within walking distance of the station, you can stop, explore the castle grounds, and then continue onward without rebuilding your entire itinerary around the visit.
That being said, northern Kagawa Prefecture is actually one of my trip anchors in its own right, and I spent a good deal of time simply enjoying the attractions found throughout the area. A stay in or around Marugame City makes it easy to venture off on day trips in either direction. Between the mountain shrines, coastal viewpoints, port cities, and islands of the Seto Inland Sea, there is more than enough here to justify several days rather than a quick stop while passing through.
As explained on my dedicated page about Kotohira-gu, the famous shrine is affectionately known as Konpira-san. Kotohira-gu is the head shrine of the numerous Kotohira shrines found across Japan and has a long history of association with protection at sea. Reaching the main sanctuary requires climbing 785 stone steps, while those continuing to the inner shrine face a grand total of 1,368. Suffice it to say, Marugame Castle does not need to provide the only stair-based suffering on your itinerary.
Heading west, Marugame also makes a good jumping-off point for Takaya Shrine and Kan-onji City. Often called the “torii in the sky,” Takaya Shrine sits more than 400 meters above the surrounding area and looks out across Kan-onji and the Seto Inland Sea. Down below, Kan-onji is also home to the enormous Zenigata Sand Coin carved into the sands of Ariake Beach at Kotohiki Park. Just be sure to check the latest access information for Takaya Shrine, as restrictions on private vehicles are sometimes imposed.
Finally, Marugame is located just west of the junction created by the Seto Ohashi, the bridge system linking Okayama Prefecture with Shikoku Island. After crossing onto the island, the railway splits east toward Takamatsu and west toward Marugame, Imabari, and Matsuyama. This makes it easy to continue from Marugame Castle to Takamatsu, or alternatively, base yourself in Takamatsu and make a quick outing to Marugame Castle.
Until next time travelers…
