Tsuruga Castle
鶴ヶ城37°29′ N 139°56′ ECastleBuilt about 630 years ago
Tsuruga Castle suits visitors to Aizu who want a red-tiled castle keep with a museum inside and a tea house in the grounds; the keep holds a museum of Aizu's history, and cherry season brings the biggest crowds.
Photo くろふね · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Visiting with care · Open to visitors
- Pay for the keep in cash at the ticket window, or buy a web ticket ahead by card.
- Visitors with a disability certificate enter free, with one companion where the certificate allows.
- The castle's story includes the young Byakkotai soldiers who died in the 1868 Boshin War. Treat the exhibits on them as a memorial.
Tsuruga Castle has stood in Aizu for about 630 years, and its formal name is Wakamatsu Castle. In the Boshin War of 1868 it held out through heavy attack, and it is known as the impregnable castle. Its five-tier keep wears red roof tiles, and it ranks among Japan's 100 fine castles. Inside, the keep is a museum of Aizu's history.
The Rinkaku tea house in the grounds is said to have been built by Shoan, son of the tea master Sen no Rikyu. After the war it was kept safe in the town, and in 1990 it came back to the castle grounds. You can sit for matcha and a sweet there. The Oyakuen garden of the Matsudaira lords lies about 15 minutes' walk east and grows medicinal herbs around its pond.
About 1,000 cherry trees surround the keep, and they bloom from mid-April to early May. In autumn 2026 the museum shows 'Aizu in Kyoto' from 12 September to 3 November. An English guided walk runs in the grounds too.
Worth knowing
- Rent a bike at the castle's town rental station to ride between the keep, the Oyakuen garden and the old town.
- Buy the ¥730 three-site ticket if you plan to see the tea house and the Oyakuen garden too.
Quick answers about Tsuruga Castleよくある質問
How much is Tsuruga Castle?
The keep museum costs ¥410 for adults and ¥150 for children. A ticket with the Rinkaku tea house costs ¥520.
What are Tsuruga Castle's opening hours?
8:30–17:00 every day, with last entry at 16:30.
Can you visit Tsuruga Castle?
Open to visitors. Pay for the keep in cash at the ticket window, or buy a web ticket ahead by card. Visitors with a disability certificate enter free, with one companion where the certificate allows.
How should you behave at Tsuruga Castle?
At Tsuruga Castle: The castle's story includes the young Byakkotai soldiers who died in the 1868 Boshin War. Treat the exhibits on them as a memorial.
Within 12 km
