Imabari Castle
今治城
A rare "sea castle" whose moat is fed by the Seto Inland Sea. Sea fish swim in it with the tides, and the white keep is reflected on the water.
A sea castle built by a master castle-builder
Imabari Castle is a flatland castle (hirajiro) built on the coast of the Seto Inland Sea in Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture. It was built by Todo Takatora, a warlord of the Sengoku (Warring States) period famous as a master of castle-building. As a reward for his service at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, he was given half of Iyo Province (today's Ehime Prefecture), and in 1602 he began building the castle.
The castle was surrounded by three rings of moats filled with seawater drawn in from the sea, and it even had a harbour where large ships could come and go, making it one of the finest sea castles (umijiro) in Japan. From 1635 the Hisamatsu Matsudaira family lived in the castle as lords of the Imabari domain. It is counted as one of Japan's "three great water castles" and has been chosen as one of Japan's "100 Fine Castles".
Lost in the Meiji era, rebuilt from the Showa era
After the Meiji Restoration, most of the castle buildings were pulled down, leaving only the inner moat and the stone walls. In 1980 a tenshu (the tall central tower of a castle, often called the keep) and a tamon yagura (a long turret running along the top of the stone walls) were built in reinforced concrete, and the Okane Yagura, the Yamazato Yagura and the Kurogane Gomon (iron gate) were rebuilt one after another.
However, it is not clear whether Imabari Castle actually had a keep in Todo Takatora's time. The present keep, with five roofs and six floors, was built where the Kitasumi Yagura (north corner turret) once stood, and it is not a faithful reconstruction of an Edo-period keep.
A moat full of sea fish, and the view from the keep
Seawater still flows in and out of the moat, and if you peer in you can see sea fish swimming about.
Inside, the keep is a six-floor exhibition space displaying armour and weapons, works of art and historical documents. The top floor is a lookout with a 360-degree view over the Seto Inland Sea and the islands of the Shimanami Kaido. With the Imabari Castle AR app (AR stands for augmented reality) on your smartphone, you can see the Edo-period castle overlaid on today's scenery.
At night about 100 lights illuminate the castle, and its reflection appears on the water of the moat.
Getting there
From Imabari Station on the JR Yosan Line, take a Setouchi Bus to the Imabari-jo-mae stop (about 10 minutes), then walk about 3 minutes. The keep's opening hours and admission fee may change, so check the Imabari City official website. It is closed at the end of the year, and may also close temporarily when exhibitions are being changed.
Tips
- Before you climb the keep, install the Imabari Castle AR app on your smartphone, and on the top floor you can compare the Edo-period castle with today's view.
- The illumination starts a little after sunset. Take in the view from the keep in the late afternoon, then look at the castle across the moat once it is dark, and you get to enjoy both day and night.
- It is an easy place to stop before or after cycling the Shimanami Kaido. From the top floor of the keep you can pick out the islands you are about to cross (or have just crossed).
Sources
Updated 29 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.
