Tanabe Castle (田辺城) is currently the Maizuru Shiritsu Tanabejō Museum (舞鶴市立 田辺城資料館). Due to its elegant appearance, it is also called Maizuru Castle. Tanabe Castle became famous among Japanese history buffs because of the Battle of Sekigahara (関ヶ原の戦い).
Two months before the forces of Tokugawa and Toyotomi collided at Sekigahara, it is where the Battle of Tanabe Castle took place. With just 500 soldiers, Hosokawa Yūsai (細川幽斎) defended Tanabe Castle for around 1.5 months from Toyotomi’s force of 10,500 people, led by Ishida Mitsunari (石田三成).
Of course, Hosokawa couldn’t win the battle with the small force that he had. Fortunately, he had another identity – the master of Japanese Poems (和歌)! His talent was so renowned that the castle siege ended with an edict from the emperor of the time who wanted to save Hosokawa Yūsai’s life!
In 1873, the castle was abandoned due to an order from the Meiji government. The turret restoration that served as Tanabe Castle’s castle gate was completed in 1994. On the gate’s second floor, visitors can learn about the history of the successive lords of Tanabe Castle and the castle town.
Instead of rebuilding the entire castle, other parts of the Tanabe Castle Ruins (田辺城址) were reconstructed as a park for the locals to relax. With 100 cherry trees in their park, Tanabe Castle is known as one of the best places for cherry blossom hunting in Maizuru.
From spring to autumn, you can also stroll to the park’s lake to see the beautiful Koi fish, which Japanese people highly value.
Tanabe Castle Festival (田辺城まつり)
The Tanabe Castle Festival is a massive annual event of historical significance that takes place on a Sunday in late May. It is divided into three parts, each representing what happened at the end of the Sengoku period (1467 – 1615).
- The arrival of Ishida Mitsunari’s force and the donation of rice to the castle by the locals
- The arrival of a messenger from the Imperial Court
- The return of Hosokawa Tadaoki (細川忠興) after the victory in the Battle of Sekigahara. Note Tadaoki is the son of Hosokawa Yūsai (細川幽斎)
The first part of the festival takes place in front of the castle gate. Ayame Pond (あやめ池) in the park is the setting of part two. The event ends with part three in the city center, where people wear armor and parade the streets.
A performance stage and temporary stalls are set up for the festival.
Celebrations take place the night before the actual festival.
Tanabe Castle’s Opening Hours, Admission Fee, and Access Information
- Maizuru Tanabe Castle Museum is open from 9 am to 5 pm daily except for Mondays.
- The last admission is at 4:30 pm.
- Tanabe Castle won’t open on the black-out days in the MUSEUM CALENDAR.
- The admission fee is
- 200 yen for adults
- 100 yen for elementary to university students
- From JR Nishi-Maizuru Station (西舞鶴駅), it is around a 10-minute walk.
- You can also take Kyoto Kōtsū’s (京都交通) bus route 20 from JR Nishi-Maizuru Station and get off at Sennichimae (千日前). It is then a 3-minute walk to the castle.
- Refer to HERE and click “20 東西循環線(右回り)” on the left menu bar for the bus timetable.
Discover Other Attractions in Mairuzu City
Maizuru City, facing the Sea of Japan, is located in the northern section of Kyoto Prefecture. While the rest of Kyoto is largely adorned with traditional buildings from eras up to the end of the Edo period, Maizuru City embodies the history of Japan after the modernization that occurred during the Meiji era.
Besides the city’s history, it is one of the best destinations in Kyoto for magnificent scenery.
Refer to our Maizuru City article for more details!
