Toyoda Castle
from the 3/98 paper Ibaraki Report
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Located in Ishige-Machi in Yūki County, Toyoda Castle is a beautiful scenic spot and interesting historical museum that I highly recommend for a day's visit. The castle as it stands today is a modern reconstruction of the original, which supposedly had a thatched roof and was used as a fortress for the local lord. The modern castle was completed in 1992, and is now used as a public hall, a library and an exhibition room.
Contained within are exhibitions on the agricultural history of Ishige, and there are displays on artifacts such as Yūki Tsumugi (a type of traditional cloth) and the Kiri Geta (traditional footwear). There is also an exhibition about Takashi Nagatsuka, a literary man of the Meiji period whose poetry and writings are on display.
The castle itself is 48.5 meters tall, which allows for beautiful views of Mt. Tsukuba, Mt. Fuji, and the mountain ranges of Nikkō from the 7th floor observatory.
For more details concerning a visit of this castle, please contact the Jousou-Shi Ishige-Machi Exchange Center (常総市石下町交流センター) at 0297-420-169.
