Iwamura Castle Town

Iwamura Castle Town is an area that flourished as the castle town of the Iwamura Domain during the Edo period. During the Sengoku period, Otsuya no Kata, the aunt of Oda Nobunaga, ruled Iwamura Castle as a female lord, and her name is still passed down today as a symbol of the town. Along the street stretching Approx. 1.3 km from east to west, latticed doors, traditional machiya townhouses with projecting eaves, and earthen storehouses line the way, and the area has been designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings by the national government. Highlights also include structures that make use of the terrain, such as the masugata, a crank-shaped road unique to castle towns, and waterways flowing through the houses.

At the Kimura Residence Merchant Museum, visitors can learn about the lives and business practices of merchants from that time. Along the street are places such as Iwamura Jozo, a sake brewery founded in the Edo period, as well as Japanese sweets shops and cafes set in renovated old houses, making it fun to stroll around while tasting the local famous sake Onna Joshu and simple traditional sweets.

Behind the town stands the ruins of Iwamura Castle, associated with the female lord Otsuya no Kata and known as one of Japan’s three great mountain castles. The scenery stretching from the castle town to the mountain castle still carries the flow of history from the Sengoku period to the Edo period. In spring, cherry blossoms color the town, while autumn leaves bring a different seasonal charm.