Photo: Dandy1022 / CC BY-SA 4.0The keep was rebuilt in 1994 as the first full-scale wooden reconstruction of a castle tower in Japan. The original fell in the 1854 earthquake and was never replaced. Beside it stands the late-Edo Ninomaru palace, a National Important Cultural Property and one of only four castle palaces still standing. Both Holland America and Princess run tours here with Kasuisai temple.
It is the one big cultural sight within reach, but it is a half-day. The wharf has no railway and the castle is 35 km inland. The day depends on a taxi hired by the hour or a ship’s tour. Shoes come off in the palace and the keep’s stairs are steep; the tour operators call it moderate and not wheelchair-accessible.
Five things the plaques won't tell you
- Be at the gate for 9:00. The castle opens then, and the tour coaches arrive after.
- The Ninomaru Museum is closed on Mondays, so on the 2027 call day the keep, palace and tea house are the visit.
- Kakegawa Station is a Kodama stop: Hamamatsu 11 minutes, Shizuoka 13 minutes. A long call can add lunch in Hamamatsu, but nothing more.
- Book early if you want the ship’s tour. Princess passengers have found Kakegawa tours full months out, and there is no local operator to fall back on.
- Kakegawa’s cherry-blossom festival at the castle is around 5 April and its autumn festival in October. A mid-April call is just after the normal full bloom.
Shoes come off in the palace and the keep’s stairs are steep; the tour operators call it moderate and not wheelchair-accessible.
Guided days from Omaezaki
Booked before you sail — there is no tour desk at the pier. Booking through these links supports the site.
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4.9★ · 9 reviewsSmall Group Japanese Green Tea Tasting in Shizuoka
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Questions people ask here
How do I get to Kakegawa Castle from the cruise ship?
By taxi or ship’s tour. Omaezaki has no railway; the castle is about 35 km from West Wharf No. 2, a 30–50 minute drive, roughly ¥12,500 each way by our distance-only estimate. The taxi fleet is small, so book an hourly hire in advance: ¥3,850 per 30 minutes under the official tariff. From Kakegawa Station the castle is a 7-minute walk.
Is Kakegawa Castle open every day?
The keep and the palace open every day, 9:00–17:00 with last entry at 16:30, for ¥410. The Ninomaru Museum closes on Mondays and the Ninomaru tea house opens daily 9:30–17:00.
Is Kakegawa Castle suitable for limited mobility?
The palace is on one level but you remove shoes. The keep’s wooden stairs are steep, and the ship tours describe the outing as moderate and not wheelchair-accessible. The grounds and the tea house garden are the gentle option.