A trip to Mihara City, Hiroshima Prefecture.
The main purpose of the trip was to participate in a monitoring tour organized by the Mihara Tourist Association, but we decided to visit the city earlier and tour the city.
We had very little time to spare, and only the first day of the trip was free to do whatever we wanted.
Therefore, we decided to take the theme of “a trip around Mihara Station” to see the sights in the city that can be enjoyed without going too far from the station.
The first thing we visited upon getting off at Mihara Station was the ruins of Mihara Castle.
Mihara Station is in an interesting location, as the magnificent stone walls of the castle ruins can be seen from the Shinkansen platform. The castle ruins are accessible from the concourse of the station.
However, the directions to the castle ruins are a little confusing, so here is a summary of how to get to the castle ruins.
Located just a short walk from the station, this is a must-visit attraction when visiting Mihara. The high ground of the castle ruins is a park, so you can take your time and enjoy the view of the city of Mihara.
Moreover, this year, 2017, is a memorial year for Mihara Castle, celebrating 450 years since its construction.
You can’t afford not to visit.
Visit the ruins of Mihara Castle, a “floating castle” built by Takakage Kobayakawa
There was one place I wanted to visit first on my trip to Mihara. It was the ruins of Mihara Castle.
Mihara Castle was built by Takakage Kobayakawa, the third son of Motonari Mori. It is also called “floating castle” because the castle appeared to float on the sea at high tide at that time.
From Tokyo, I visited Mihara by Shinkansen bullet train.
According to the information I had checked in advance, the ruins of the castle could be seen from the platform of the Shinkansen, but not from the platform where I got off the train.
So I went to the opposite platform (the direction of the Shinkansen is toward Fukuyama) to try it out and found ……!
Moreover, the stone wall was more magnificent than I had expected. I wanted to get closer to it as soon as possible.
And I went out of the ticket gate of the Shinkansen with great vigor, but now, I don’t know how to get to the castle ruins.
By being right in front of it, I would have to go left and right to find a shortcut to the opposite side of the road.
It is also frustrating to see an entrance that seems to belong to the castle ruins.
It made me laugh when I thought about ……, where I was trying to attack the castle but was confused because I couldn’t find the entrance.
How to get to Mihara Castle Ruins from Mihara Station
In the end, I reached the castle ruins by asking the station staff.
So, let me summarize how to get to Mihara Castle Ruins from Mihara Station.
If you visit Mihara Station by Shinkansen, you will go through two ticket gates, one for Shinkansen and the other for conventional lines.
After exiting the ticket gates, first turn right.
Continue to go straight and you will see an information board for the West Exit.
Follow the directions and turn left.
After turning toward the West Exit, walk carefully to the right.
You will soon find a sign that reads “Ruins of Mihara Castle Tenshudai. Climb these stairs.
At the top of the stairs is the entrance to the castle ruins. This is the entrance seen from just outside the Shinkansen ticket gate.
Please note that you can only enter the castle ruins between 6:30 and 22:00. No entrance ticket is required.
Ruins of Mihara Castle Keep, which is now a park
Entering the entrance and going up the stairs, you will see a rare view of the Shinkansen platform right in front of you, even though you have just entered the castle keep ruins.
The JR Sanyo Main Line and the Shinkansen run through the main part of the castle, as if it were an integral part of the station.
Turning your back to the station and looking toward the town, you will see a magnificent water moat and a stone wall.
Surprised to be at an unexpectedly high altitude, we gaze at the blue sky and the mountains dotting the sky for a while.
As the name “Ruins of Kobayakawa’s Castle” suggests, Mihara Castle was built by Takakage Kobayakawa and also served as the home port of the Kobayakawa navy.
Hideyoshi Toyotomi and Ieyasu Tokugawa once stayed at this castle.
At that time, Mihara Castle was a large castle with Honmaru, Ninomaru, and Minomaru, 32 turrets, and 14 gates.
The castle tower is said to be one of the largest in Japan, with six of Hiroshima Castle’s towers.
The area around the castle ruins is maintained as a park.
Benches are also placed at the ruins of the castle keep, so you can enjoy the beautiful view while thinking about the history of Mihara.
If you exit the station and look at the ruins of the castle keep from the outside, you will see a figure reminiscent of a “floating castle”.
The splendid stone walls catch your eye. This stone wall is said to have been built using a special construction method called Aburi-zukuri.
I wonder what the landscape must have looked like in those days.
It is a pity that the castle does not remain, but looking at the ruins of the splendid keep, my imagination is filled with fantasy.
Conclusion
Mihara Castle Ruins is directly connected to the station and can be visited quickly.
Due to a lack of time, we visited only the main keep ruins this time, but it seems that there are some boat entrance turret ruins and stonewalls remaining in the town.
The large keep ruins standing in the middle of the town are very impressive.
I saw it many times during this trip, but the scenery with the castle tower, which is not often seen, was very impressive no matter how many times I saw it.
I ended up visiting the keep twice, once right after getting off at Mihara Station on the Shinkansen and again before boarding the Shinkansen on the way back.
It is located in a place where time is at least a factor in getting there, so please visit it when you get off at Mihara Station.
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