Ōtsu Castle Ruins

Highlights & Introduction

Otsu Castle Ruins – Memories of a Lakeside Castle Etched in Stone

【On Site】
・A stone monument near Otsu Port marks the site of the former Otsu Castle

【History and Culture】
Otsu Castle is said to have been built on the lakeshore of Otsu in 1586 by Asano Nagayoshi, also known as Asano Nagamasa, a retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Constructed by relocating Sakamoto Castle, it was a large-scale castle, and the area around present-day Hama-Otsu is thought to have taken shape as a castle town largely during this period.

During the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, the castle lord Kyogoku Takatsugu held out inside Otsu Castle during the Siege of Otsu, as Western Army generals, including Tachibana Muneshige, attacked the castle. This dealt a blow to the Western Army, but Otsu Castle also suffered heavy damage apart from its main keep. Otsu Castle thus became an important stage in the course of the Battle of Sekigahara.

After the Battle of Sekigahara, Otsu Castle was abolished, and the castle was relocated to Zeze. Records state that the keep’s components were repurposed for the keep of Hikone Castle. Today, no buildings or castle-like remains of Otsu Castle can be seen, but the stone monument near Otsu Port keeps alive the memory of the lakeside castle and the Sengoku period.

Founding year / Establishment year：Otsu Castle: circa 1586 CE

Editor-in-chief：Otsu City Museum of History

Access

Address

5-chōme-2-29 Hamaōtsu, Otsu, Shiga 520-0047, Japan

By car: Approx. 5 min by car from the Meishin Expressway Otsu IC
By train: Right near Keihan Biwako-hamaotsu Station

View on Google Maps

Access from Kyoto

From Kyoto Station
By Train: Approx. 30 minutes
By Car: Approx. 35 minutes

Check the route on Google Maps from the link below.

From Kyoto Station

Access from nearby airports

Check the route on Google Maps from the link below.

From Itami Airport From Kansai International Airport

Local Information

Basic Information

Business Hours: Monday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours
Wednesday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours
Friday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Open 24 hours
Sunday: Open 24 hours
Parking Lot: Public parking nearby (including for large cars, paid parking)
Contact Information: Otsu Station Tourist Information

Related Works and People

Related people: Kyogoku Takatsugu / Tokugawa Ieyasu / Asano Nagamasa (Nagayoshi) / Toyotomi Hideyoshi / Tachibana Muneshige / Shinjo Naoyori / Masuda Nagamori
Related works: Novel: The Shield of Saio