Sunpu Castle [駿府城]
Main gate (Higashi-gomon) of Sunpu Castle
Higashi-gomon of Sunpu Castle
Sunpu Castle is located about 0.8 km northwest of JR Shizuoka station, and is at the central part of Shizuoka city.
There is the government office quarter around the castle.
The site is nearly square having a side of about 400 meters.
Some constructions of the castle are in this site, but all of them are restored.
Formally this site is called Sunpu Castle Park.
Sunpu Castle was built by Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616, one of the most famous warlords) in 1585.
But he moved to Edo Castle (current Tokyo) as his war strategy in 1590.
Tatsumi-yagura of Sunpu Castle
Statue of Tokugawa Ieyasu
After that, he won the battle dividing Japan as the head of Easten Japan army group in 1600.
Then he succeeded to unify all countries in Japan.
He founded Edo Government in 1603, and became the Shogun.
His feudal government system by samurai continued for over 260 years.
In 1605, he resigned from the shogunate and gave it to his son, Hidetada.
And Ieyasu moved back to Sunpu Castle in 1607.
But Ieyasu had continued to hold real power until he died in 1616.
When Ieyasu came back to Sunpu Castle in 1607, It was repaired on a large scale.
But the renewed castle had been destroyed by fire only nine months later.
Of course, the reconstruction was started quickly, and new castle was completed in 1610.
This castle was destroyed again by spread of town fire in 1635.
After that, the castle tower was not rebuilt, but only some buildings were rebuilt.
Ruin of moats in Sunpu Castle
Japanese garden in spring in Sunpu Castle
In 1896, a regiment of the Imperial Japanese Army was placed on this site, so the historic buildings demolished and some of the moats were filled.
After World War II, the site was opened to the public as a park.
Then some historic buidings except the castle tower has been restored since 1989.
And we can see the some ruins such as moats and stone walls.
There are about 500 cherry tress in the park.
It is known for the cherry blossoms in this area.
How to get here
By Tokaido Shinkansen, from Tokyo to Shizuoka, about 1 hour and 10 to 30 minutes.
Then, about 10 minutes walk from Shizuoka station.
