DO NOT FOLLOW GOOGLE MAPS to the highschool, go to 登城口広場 to enter the trail, that is the on’y entrance as there is a fence. the hike and view is quite amazing. enjoy.
☆Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles☆
April 7, 2013. This mountain castle, located in Kasuga-cho, Tanba City, Hyogo Prefecture, is where Akai Naomasa, known as the "Red Demon of Tanba," fought a fierce battle with Akechi Mitsuhide. The mountaintop enclosure is visible even from a distance.
Following the narrow road towards the foot of the mountain, past Kuroi Elementary School, you'll find a parking lot. After parking, you'll reach the trailhead, where you'll find a stone monument marking the Kuroi Castle ruins and another marking the trailhead for Hozuki Castle ruins. It's a bit confusing at first, but Hozuki Castle is another name for Kuroi Castle.
It seems to take about an hour to reach the summit, and considering the time it would take to get back, I decided against it this time. Since remnants of the Sengoku period, such as stone walls, gates, and earthworks, remain, I'd like to climb it someday.
On the way back, I got a stamp at the Kasuga Community Center and received a castle stamp at the tourist information center at the Michi-no-Eki Obaachan no Sato (Roadside Station Obaachan no Sato) before heading home. It's definitely a place I want to visit again.
(June 15, 2019) (Old coordinates moved, comment added) Castle No. 163 of the Top 100 Castles, the stamp is located in Kasuga Resident Center, Tamba City. I didn't specifically look for the stamp's design.
After exiting the station, walk the rest of the way to the castle entrance after obtaining the stamp. There are two routes for attacking the castle: a steep one and a gentle one. The steep route is quite exciting and challenging, but it takes relatively less time to reach the top. For safety and efficiency in terms of attack time, I would recommend taking the steep route uphill and the gentle route downhill. Using the steep route downhill significantly increases the risk.
It was raining heavily the day I came, but determined to make the trip worthwhile, I charged up the castle. Looking back, it was a bit dangerous, with rain constantly washing down from above on the steep route. However, once I reached the top, I saw a different kind of scenery: stone walls shrouded in clouds, with the clouds swirling among the mountains. If I have the chance, I'd like to climb back up and see a different view. Among the top 100 cities, this is one I'll never forget.
If you insist on attacking a city in the rain, I'd suggest simply using the gentler routes up and down the mountain. And even if it's not raining, wear comfortable hiking shoes.
I went to Kuroi Castle, a mountain castle that's not easy to get to.
I went by motorbike, so it was easy, but it was difficult because the locations for the 100 Famous Castles stamp and the castle seal are all separate at the mountain castle.
First, I visited the community center and got my 100 Famous Castles stamp.
After that, I headed up to the mountain castle.
There is a parking lot at the entrance to the castle.
From here, you can choose between a gentle course or a steep course.
Since it was my first time, I didn't know what to do, and Arikoyama Castle, which I visited yesterday, was a lot steeper than I expected, so I was a little scared and chose the gentle course.
Also, I heard that bears haunt this mountain.
This is quite scary.
I played music on my smartphone speaker with the volume turned up to maximum as I made my way.
There is a gate just inside the entrance.
It's supposed to be a gate to keep animals out, but it's not very well made.
A bear would probably destroy it.
I unlocked the door myself and locked it once I was through.
From there it was uphill up the mountain.
: It's a really nice mountain.
The slope wasn't as steep as I'd worried, and it was an enjoyable climb.
There was something like a shrine on the stone steps, where the steep course joined up.
Continuing up the moderate mountain path, I came across another gate, and when I opened it, I could see the stone walls.
Although it's only at the summit, there are sturdy stone walls, and the baileys are quite large with great views.
When you reach the main castle, you can see everything around.
I wasn't as tired as I thought I would be, and it was a very pleasant climb.
I think it took less than 30 minutes to reach the top.
The descent was even quicker, and I was down in no time.
If you take the gentler course, both the ascent and descent are pleasant.
After descending, I went to a roadside station and purchased a castle seal at the tourist information center there.
It was a really nice mountain castle.
Summited January 30, 2025
This mountain castle represents Tamba during the Sengoku period. Renowned for his bravery, Akai Naomasa, feared as the "Red Demon of Tamba," ruled the three Oku-Tamba counties (Hikami, Amada, and Ikka) under the command of powerful local warlords. He also repeatedly invaded Tajima.
When Oda Nobunaga, seeking to unify the country under his rule, ordered Akechi Mitsuhide to pacify Tamba, Kuroi Castle witnessed two fierce battles between Akechi's forces and Kuroi's. Remnants of the brutal Sengoku period remain scattered throughout the mountains, and the Kuroi Castle ruins have been designated a national historic site as a valuable Sengoku castle. It has also been designated one of the 100 Most Famous Castles of Japan.
Park in front of Kozenji Temple and head to Kuroi Castle Ruins. We chose a route that ascended from the steep course and descended from the gentle course. Unfortunately, we were unable to see the three-tiered moat as it was under construction.
The ruins of Kuroi Castle can be faintly seen from Kozenji Temple. The view from the remains of Taikodan is great, and the stone walls in front of the remains of the east moat are very impressive. The main, second and third moats are all flat and easy to move around in. The view from the main moat is spectacular, with a 360-degree view, and we could even faintly see Kanayama Castle, the residence of Akechi Mitsuhide. The view was great and made us glad we came on a clear winter day. It was amazing.
