Another Original Castle
We have a long-running quest: visit all 12 castles in Japan whose keeps are originals, never rebuilt in concrete (the castle coins post has the full story). Maruoka, in Fukui, was one we hadn’t done, and it’s only an hour from Kanazawa. So on Day 6, we took the JR line down to Awaraonsen and a local bus out through the rice fields.
The Castle
Maruoka is small. The keep is only two storeys from outside, three inside, sitting on a big stone base on a little hill. For a long time it was called the oldest keep in Japan. Recent studies date it to the early 1600s, so maybe not the oldest, but still more than 400 years old. It fell down in the Fukui earthquake of 1948 and was put back together in 1955 using much of its original timber.
We also got the stamp for our 100 Castles book.
Then up the hill to the keep itself.
The roof tiles are made of stone, not clay. Shakudani stone, a local volcanic rock that doesn’t crack in the snow.
The Ladder
Inside, the stairs are so steep they’re basically ladders, with a rope to hold on to. Going up is fine. Coming down, you go backwards, slowly.
The Rest
Old photos inside show the castle before and after the earthquake. Outside, a model shows how big the whole castle used to be, with moats and gates all around. Only the keep is left now.
Back to Kanazawa by early afternoon for Nishi Chaya and the ninja temple.
Information About Maruoka Castle
One of Japan's 12 original castle keeps, about 20 minutes by bus from Awaraonsen Station. An hour is enough for the keep and the little museum.