Kakegawa city [掛川]
Running Shinkansen from Kakegawa Castle
Tea farm in Makinohara
Kakegawa is a city located in the southwestrn area in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Kakegawa station of Tokaido Shinkansen is between Shizuoka and Hamamatsu.
Oigawa river flows about 15 km east of Kakegawa, and there is Makinohara Upland between Kakegawa and Oigawa river.
Shizuoka Prefecture produces about 40 percent of green tea in Japan, and one third of them are produced in this area.
The tea of Kakegawa has high value in the market.
When you travel around this area, you can see the scenery of tea farms on the hill.
And there are many shops of green tea in the city.
Kakegawa Castle (掛川城)
Kakegawa Castle
Entrance of Kakegawa Castle
Kakegawa Castle is located on a small hill about 600 meters north of Kakegawa station.
The castle was built in the early 16th century.
The castle tower was built in 1621 and became the central place to govern this area.
In 1854, a great earthquake occured around Tokai Region and all buildings of this castle collapsed.
Only a government office was rebuilt in 1861, but the castle tower was not rebuilt.
In 1994, the castle tower was restored.
It is the Japan's first restored wooden castle tower.
It was restored according to the pictures and the documents describing in the old days.
The castle tower has four stories, and the size is small.
But it has been called "Beautiful castle in Tokai"
Kakegawa Kachouen (掛川花鳥園)
Kakegawa Kachouen is a unique amusement park, and the visitors can enjoy interacting with birds and beautiful scenery of flowers.
It is located about 500 meters south of Kakegawa station.
There are various birds freely in a wide building, and the visitors can feed the bird.
We can meet colorful tropical birds, owls, penguins, etc. closely.
And beautiful flowers are in the building and ponds.
How to get here
By local train of JR Tokaido Line, to Kanaya, about 30 minutes from Shizuoka, about 17 minutes from Kakegawa.
