Kitsuki Castle [杵築城]

Kitsuki Castle is a castle in Kitsuki city.
Kitsuki is a small city on the north side of Beppu Bay, and is located on the opposite shore of Oita city.
The distance is about 20 km from Beppu and about 35 km from Oita city by land.

Yasaka River flows toward east and the castle is near the mouth of the river.
The original castle was built on a low hill by the river in 1394.

After the Edo government was established in 1603, this castle became a political center in Kitsuki and the castle town was formed to the west of the castle.

From 1615, the main castle in Oita area became the castle in current Oita city.
Therefore, the castle tower was demolished after that.

Current castle tower was built as the museum in 1970.
It is called the smallest castle tower in Japan.

The castle town is popular.

From the western foot of the hill of Kitsuki Castle, a main street runs to the west.
The length in the original castle tower is about 1 km.

Low hills are on the both sides of the street.

Samurais as the officer governing Kitsuki area were lived on the hills.
On the other hands, the merchants and common citizens were lived along the street.

So, it is sometimes called "Sandwich town".

The side streets from samurai towns to the main street are gentle downhill slopes, so the landscape of the town is unique.

There are some attractive slopes, and each slope is named after a shop which was near the intersection.

The popular slopes are Suya-no-saka (酢屋の坂, Slope of Vinegar shop), Shioya-no-saka (塩屋の坂, Slope of Salt shop), Ameya-no-saka (飴屋の坂, Slope of Candy shop), Kanjôba-no-saka (勘定場の坂, Slope of Tax office), etc.

Along the main street, there are some old houses of Japanese traditional products.
There is also a renral shop of Kimono to walk around the castle town.

And, in samurai towns on the hills, some old samurai residences are dotted.
Some of them are open to the public.

Kitsuki Tourism Organization

How to get here

By JR limited express , about 22 minutes from Oita, about 13 minutes from Beppu.

Other Tourist Attractions in Oita Prefecture

Return to Oita Prefecture Return to Kyushu Region