Standing above the mountain passes of Hyogo Prefecture, the highways of transit between the Sea of Japan in the north, and the cities of Kobe and Himeji, are the Takeda-jô Ruins of Asago City. I have written before about the hidden beauty of Asago and northern Hyogo in my post about the Ikuno Ginzan, but while the mines highlight the beauty below the ground, the ruins represent the beauty above it. The castle was first built at the turn of the 15th century and unfortunately was on the losing side in battles against Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Great Unifier #2) and later against Tokugawa Ieyasu (Great Unifier #3). During the Edo period the castle was largely abandoned and left to weather away with the passage of time. Now, only the foundations remain of the once great castle.

For visitors: 9.

It’s hard to understand why anyone would list this castle as a must-see location considering the word “ruins” is in the title. It’s a pile of rock atop a mountain, or so many would likely think. To be honest, that’s not incorrect, but not entirely fair. The castle ruins are referred to by many by two epithets: The Machu Picchu of Japan, and “The Castle in the Sky.” The beauty is not simply about how it looks, it’s often about how under the right conditions in autumn, the castle appears to float atop a sea of clouds in the early morning. When the clouds aren’t in, it’s easy to see every entry and exit of the valley, proving how beneficial the establishment of a castle was to the defense of the area.

The castle is accessible by car throughout the year apart from winter when ice and snow can make the steep roads hazardous. Guests can hike the road to the castle from the main parking lot at the base of the hill. Photos of the castle are best taken from Ritsûnkyo, an earthen trail to the east of the castle. The best cloud photos are captured between 6-7:00 am before the clouds burn off. The trails take some time to climb, particularly after a rain, and will take about 40 minutes at a decent pace. The trails will be closed if snow has fallen because of the angle of the incline.