- Address: Japan, 〒520-0814 Shiga-ken, Ōtsu-shi, Honmaruchō, 7
- Phone: +81 77-527-1588
- Working time: 24 hours
In the Japanese city of Otsu on the shores of Lake Biwa there is a picturesque park that was laid out around the ruins of the ancient Zedze castle. Despite the fact that the ruins themselves are not so many, the park is very popular with tourists and local residents.
History of Zedze Castle
Once there was a castle in the place of the park, the creation of which, on the orders of Tokugawa Ieyasu, was worked by the famous Japanese architect Todo Tokator. During its construction, materials from another dismantled castle in Otsu were used. Despite all the local beliefs associated with the number 4, the castle had four floors. It consisted of two buildings:
- Honmaru;
- Ninomaru.
They performed far into Lake Biava, which made the whole complex one of the best lake chateaux in Japan. But in 1662 in this part of the country there was a strong earthquake, because of which some towers of both buildings collapsed directly into the reservoir. The remaining parts of the castle were renovated and merged into one complex, which is now called the park "Ruins of the Zedze Castle".
During the Restoration of the Meiji (1868-1889), the main tower of the castle was destroyed, and its fallen parts were sold to nearby shrines. Now they can be seen in the park Chasayama or in the temple of Wakamiya Hatiman.
What to see in the park "Ruins of Zedze Castle"?
In former times this majestic castle was completely reflected in the shiny surface of Lake Biwa. A lot of songs were written about his beauty. Unfortunately, now there are not many attractions . The ruins of some of the walls of the Zedze Castle stand still, but most of the sites are part of a modern park. To visit this tourist site follows in order to:
- explore the preserved buildings of the Zedze Castle;
- appreciate the beauty of the original gate and the old two-story tower;
- walk along the southern shore of Lake Biwa;
- walk around the park during the beautiful flowering of cherry blossoms.
If you want, you can go to the old Shinto shrine Zeze Shrine, located 5 minutes from the park. Despite the fact that they are separated by almost 500 m, the temple was once part of the castle complex.
Before going to this park, it should be remembered that the study of the ruins of the Zedze Castle will take a maximum of 30 minutes, but it takes at least 2 hours to inspect all the original structures of the ancient complex.
How to get to the ruins of the Zedze Castle?
This popular tourist attraction is located in the west of the Japanese city of Otsu , just 5 km from its center. To get to the park "Ruins of Zedze Castle" you can by metro or car. In 500 meters from it there is a railway station Zeze-Hommach, which can be reached by metro line Keihan-Ishiyamasakamoto.
Tourists traveling by car should follow the Route 18 or Lake shore street. You need to get to the Otsu traffic intersection, and from it to the ruins of the Zedze Castle is 10 minutes away. Next to the park there is free parking.