Tsuyama Castle (Kakuzan Park)

Its predecessor was Tsuruyama Castle built by Tadamasa Yamana in 1441, which was abandoned during the Onin and Bunmei Wars. Later, Tadamasa Mori, the younger brother of Ranmaru Mori, known as a close aide of Oda Nobunaga, changed the castle’s name from "Tsuruyama" to "Tsuyama" and began to construct it. The magnificent castle was completed in 1604 after 13 years of work and it is one of the three great Hirayama castles in Japan.

When the castle was built, Ninomaru (outer citadel) and Sannomaru (outermost region of the castle) were placed around the main enclosure where the five-storied castle tower was built, and more than 80 palaces, turrets, and gates were built. Although the buildings were demolished in accordance with an ordinance of castle abandonment in the Meiji period (1868-1912), the magnificent 10-meter-high stonewalls are as they were when the castle was built.

Bitchu turret, the largest turret in Tsuyama Castle and it is said to have had a presence second only to the castle tower, has been restored as a project commemorating the 400th anniversary of the castle's construction. The turret has a tatami-mat room, which is uncommon for a turret, and it is thought that it was used as a part of the main hall because it was connected to the main hall by a corridor. From around the castle tower, a panoramic view of Tsuyama city can be seen.

The area around the castle ruins has been maintained as Kakuzan Park, which is also known as a cherry blossom spot with approximately 1,000 cherry blossoms. During the season, the illuminated cherry blossoms can be seen from the top of the stone walls.