Mihara: Castle, Yassa and City History

The main castle grounds of Mihara Castle are next to JR Mihara Station; you can reach the main platform via the station concourse. This connection between the station and the castle grounds provides a practical anchor for planning your trip. The ruins were redeveloped in 2017 and are now used as a recreational park. Check the official visitor information before your visit.

Castle History and Recreational Park

The castle is said to have been built in 1567. Its construction joined Oshima and Kojima. With a ship entrance opening onto the sea, the complex also served as a military harbor. Today, parts of the main platform and the Funairi Yagura turret remain. At the castle grounds, surviving structures stand alongside a history shaped by the castle’s design and harbor function.

For planning purposes, the distinction between the castle’s history and its current use is also interesting: the castle is associated with the year 1567, while the ruins were redeveloped in 2017 and the grounds are now used as a recreational park. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Mihara, you can make the castle’s history one of the focal points of your trip and combine it with other experiences.

Yassa Tradition and Festival Events

In the local community, the Yassa dance is closely linked to the history of the castle: it is said to have originated as a celebration of the castle’s construction. During the Mihara Yassa Festival, around 7,000 dancers take to a dance route near Mihara Station on Friday and Saturday from about 5 p.m., calling out “Yassa, Yassa.”

On the final day of the festival, Sunday, there is a fireworks display that begins at around 8 p.m. and lasts about an hour. The route and times may vary from year to year, and the festival program may also change. So if you choose the festival as the occasion for your trip, check the dates and schedule for that year’s event. Unlike a visit to the recreational park, the festival events take place on specific days and at approximate times.

Culture and Views in the Local Community

The Mihara City History and Folklore Museum presents the construction of Mihara Castle and Mihara as a castle town. The Aoyama Collection Daruma Memorial Hall offers a different perspective, displaying about 7,000 daruma dolls. Around 1,000 are from the collection of the temple priest of Gokurakuji, while another 6,000 come from the collection of daruma collector Akimi Aoyama. The collection includes pieces from all over Japan.

The views also offer their own highlights. Kamayama Temple is one of the Eight Views of Mihara; from there, you can see Nukari Road in the distance. From Mihara Hachimangu, you can look out over old houses along the former Sanyō Road in Nishimachi and traces of the former castle town. At Oshima Shrine, the approach leads up a stone staircase lined with torii gates. During the rule of the Fukushima family, Oshima Inari Shrine and Itsukushima Shrine were merged and moved to this location.

These options offer different focal points for planning your trip: castle and city history, the dance held at a particular time of year, and views of temples and shrines. When looking for a holiday apartment in Mihara, consider which of these experiences you would like to shape your stay.

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