Feel Like a Lord: Castle with Stunning Panorama Views

Recently discovered old photographs have revealed that the exterior of the restored castle tower has been reproduced almost faithfully, and from the top floor you can get a panoramic view of Fukuchiyama city. In addition to the meandering Yura River, you can even see Mt. Oe, famous for its demon legends. Of the castles built by Akechi Mitsuhide, Fukuchiyama Castle is the only one that still has a castle tower standing today.

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Nagahama Castle is famous as the castle where Hideyoshi rose to success, but almost no remains of the original structure remain. The castle tower, a landmark on the shores of Lake Biwa, was newly built in 1983, including the stone walls, and is used as a history museum. On the top fifth floor, there is the Sengoku Panorama Observatory, where you can enjoy a view of the town of Nagahama and the majestic Lake Biwa.

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Reconstructed in 1931, Osaka Castle Tower has a history of 90 years and is a valuable structure from the early Showa period that has been designated as a registered tangible cultural property of Japan. The impressive view from the top floor, the 8th floor, is the greenery of Osaka Castle Park that spreads out below. You can get a real sense of the sheer scale of Osaka Castle. Beyond that, you can see many skyscrapers lined up, and in the distance, you can see Mt. Ikoma and Mt. Rokko.

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The linked castle tower, with its white castle tower and smaller tower connected by a Tamon Tower, was the symbol of the Kishu Tokugawa clan until it was destroyed by fire during the war. From the top floor of the Showa-era castle tower, whose exterior was faithfully restored in 1958, you can see the Wakayama cityscape, the mouth of the Kino River, and even the Kii Channel.

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From the sixth floor, the top floor of the national treasure, the main castle tower, you can not only see the city of Himeji, including Otemae-dori Street, which stretches straight to Himeji Station, but you can also check out the intricate layout of the stone walls and buildings from above. You can also see the white plaster on the roof up close, giving you a good idea of how it works.

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A three-story, three-storey National Treasure castle tower standing on top of Mt. Konki. From the top floor you can get a panoramic view of the Hikone townscape. There are no tall buildings around the castle, and you can see Sawayama, where Ishida Mitsunari's castle was located, to the east, and Lake Biwa to the west.

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During the Edo period, there was a five-story castle tower, but it was burned down by a lightning strike in 1827. The current castle tower was reconstructed in 1954. From the top floor, you can see the entirety of the "Hachijin Garden" (a national scenic spot) designed by Mirei Shigemori, a representative gardener of the Showa period. Beyond that, you can see the town of Kishiwada and as far as Osaka Bay.

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Sumoto Castle, with its large stone walls remaining, is located on Mt. Mikuma, which stands 130m above sea level and juts out into the sea. There is also a castle tower-style building on the summit. This is Japan's first concrete castle tower, built to commemorate the enthronement ceremony of Emperor Showa in 1928. It is no longer possible to climb it and it has lost its function as an observation deck, but from the summit you can get a panoramic view of Osaka Bay that stretches out before you.

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