Kansai 09 - Yet More Japanese Castles - Koriyama Castle (郡山城)

Next up on the 2009 edition of my Castle Tour of the Kansai region , after Shoryuji Castle, was the ruins of Koriyama Castle (郡山城) in the city of Yamatokoriyama ( 大和郡山市) in Nara Prefecture ( 奈良県).  It was about 1 hour Kyoto by Kintetsu Rail.

次行ったの日本のお城跡は郡山城だった。天守ないけど、綺麗城堀一杯が有る。下の写真を見て下さい！

第二個去看的日本城堡是在 奈良県大和郡山市的郡山城．看我拍的照片吧！

About 10 minutes walk from the station is the first of the outer walls of the castle (there's also a lake, which was probably part of the outer moat too).  There's actually a high school built over part of this area now.

Within the outer wall ruins there's another set of steep walls with a moat down below.

This is the inner walls.  Back in the day there would have been a system of plaster coated mud walls and turrets on top of the stone wall.  In the middle would have been the castle's 'keep' on top of another steep stone foundation.

walking into the 'inner walls' there would have been a big gate here.  Now the only thing in the inner area of the castle is the ruins of the keep's foundations and...

This Shinto shrine.

Don't forget to wash your hands!

There's a difficult stone path up the side of the keep's foundation. this really would be the last last line of defense if someone was invading the castle.

the view from the top is pretty nice though.  Over there is the 'Ote mon' (the front door to the outer walls).  We headed that way on the way out.

Crossing back over the inner moat. This side is mostly dried out.

This is the front entrance, which has been reconstructed.  It looks pretty imposing...

Last up,  here's a view of the intact outer moat out front.  There were a few ducks living here along with some monster big koi fish...

all in all a nice set of castle ruins.  If they did some pruning on the walls and rebuilt the castle tower, it'd really be good.  :-P

Bonus picture:

In the voice of Homer Simpson:  mmmm,  donut shaped burger.... gahh....