Takada Castle Site Park
高田城址公園37°07′ N 138°15′ ECastleEdo
Takada Castle Site Park in Joetsu is the moated park where Tokugawa Ieyasu's sixth son built his castle, and its rebuilt three-storey turret and moats suit travellers on the Hokuriku Shinkansen in early April when about 4,000 cherry trees bloom; the turret shuts Monday to Thursday in January and February.
Photo Josh Furr · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Visiting with care · Open to visitors
The grounds are a public park; only the turret charges entry and keeps set hours.
- The cherry festival's lantern nights draw huge crowds along the moats, so keep to the paths and take your rubbish home.
- Joetsu has reserved parking at the temporary cherry-season car parks on weekends; park only where the city's signs send you.
Tokugawa Ieyasu's sixth son Matsudaira Tadateru built Takada Castle as his seat. Today the inner and outer moats ring a public park with a history museum, an art museum, a library and sports grounds. The three-storey turret was rebuilt on the old site, and its first two floors show things that belonged to the Takada domain while the third looks out over the park.
In April about 4,000 cherry trees bloom around the moats and paper lanterns light them at night. People count the scene among Japan's three great night-time cherry views. In summer lotus covers the outer moat. In January and February the turret opens only from Friday to Sunday and on holidays.
Joetsu calls itself the place where skiing began in Japan, and the city runs a ski history museum with a section on Theodor von Lerch, whom the city credits with bringing skiing to Japan. The museum shares a five-venue pass with the turret.
Worth knowing
- Takada Station on the Echigo TOKImeki Railway's Myoko Haneuma Line is about 15 minutes' walk away, and a cherry-season shuttle runs to the Takada Library stop.
- Buy the ¥1,000 five-venue pass if you also want the city's history and ski museums.
Quick answers about Takada Castle Site Parkよくある質問
When are the cherry blossoms at Takada Castle Site Park?
The Takada Castle Site Park cherry festival ran from 3 to 19 April in 2026, with lantern lighting from 18:00 to 21:00 and until 22:00 at peak bloom.
How much is the Takada Castle turret?
The Takada Castle three-storey turret costs ¥310 for adults and ¥160 for high school students in 2026, and the park itself is free.
Is Takada Castle open in winter?
Partly. The Takada Castle turret opens 10:00–16:00 from December to March and closes Monday to Thursday in January and February, while the park stays open.
Can you visit Takada Castle Site Park?
Open to visitors.
How should you behave at Takada Castle Site Park?
At Takada Castle Site Park: The cherry festival's lantern nights draw huge crowds along the moats, so keep to the paths and take your rubbish home. Joetsu has reserved parking at the temporary cherry-season car parks on weekends; park only where the city's signs send you.
Within 12 km
