The original keep
Tiered roofs.
高梁浩洋 — CC0 · Ka23 13 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · 高梁浩洋 — CC0 · 高梁浩洋 — CC0 · by Reggaeman — CC BY-SA 3.0
Bitchū Matsuyama Castle, also called Takahashi Castle, is a Japanese castle in the city of Takahashi in Okayama prefecture, about 2 km north of the city centre in a straight line, on Mount Gagyū above the Takahashi River. It keeps one of only twelve original main keeps left in Japan and is the castle at the highest elevation above sea level in the country, at 430 metres. A first fort was built on a nearby mountain in 1240 and a castle on the present site in 1331, and it has been a National Historic Site since 1956. The small white keep with its tiered roofs stands on stone walls built onto the bare rock, surrounded by thick forest. On some autumn mornings mist rises from the valley and the castle seems to float above a sea of cloud. Reaching it means a steep walk up from the car park, so bring comfortable shoes and water. Its position once controlled the routes between the Seto Inland Sea and the Sea of Japan.
Tiered roofs.
On bare rock.
Autumn mornings.
Mount Gagyū, Takahashi, Okayama prefecture, Japan
Steep from the car park.
Some autumn mornings.