Guide to the Main Keep
Hamamatsu Castle features a new main keep constructed atop the original stone base.
The observation deck offers sweeping views of Hamamatsu City, and historical materials,
armaments, and more are on display inside the castle.
Guide to displays on each floor
Observation deck with 360-degree views of Hamamatsu City Hamamatsu Castle’s main keep
Main Keep
Offers views of the Mikatagahara battlefield to the north, Enshunada to the south, Lake Hamana to the west, and on clear days, Mt. Fuji to the east.
The lords of Hamamatsu Castle and the history of Hamamatsu’s prosperity as a post town
Model of Hamamatsu Castle and the castle town
A 1/600 recreation of Hamamatsu Castle and the castle town circa the Tenpo era (1830 - 1843) accompanied by an audio guide.
The life of Ieyasu through panels and video
3-D statue of Ieyasu Tokugawa
A life-sized statue depicting Ieyasu Tokugawa in his thirties, created in 2015 as a 400th anniversary project. It presents Ieyasu as never before seen, recreating even wrinkles, pores, and the lines on his palms. Don’t miss it!
The well under the main keep
The well beneath the main keep’s base
The underground well has a diameter of 1.3 m and a depth of 1 m and is said to have been dug as a critical source of water in case of a siege.
Guide to the CastleThe walls surrounding Hamamatsu Castle contain many traces of the 16th century’s Sengoku (“Warring States”) period.
Statue of a young Ieyasu
The statue of Ieyasu in Hamamatsujo Park shows him holding his fern helmet crest as if standing guard over the city.
Hamamatsu Castle’s stone bases (Nozura-zumi)
The Nozura-zumi style consists of natural stones stacked atop each other to create solid bases that retain the atmosphere of those days despite 400 years of weathering.
Kuruwa (Baileys)
Walls of stone stacked to protect the castle and the fortifications around it. In addition to the kuruwa around the main keep, Hamamatsu Castle featured three other kuruwa—Shimizu, Nishi-hajiro, and Sakuza.
The main keep gate
The main keep gate, a yagura-mon (gate with a watchtower above it) to the east of the main keep’s stone base, is one of Hamamatsu Castle’s characteristic features.(Restored March 2014)