Maizuru: Brick, Castle and Harbor

Brick architecture, the history of a castle town, and harbor views give different areas of Maizuru distinct character. These places and attractions offer different ways to experience Maizuru, without requiring any one theme to define the whole trip.

Brick Architecture and Naval History

The Maizuru Red Brick Museum is housed in a former naval torpedo storehouse built in 1903. The building is one of the oldest surviving steel-framed brick structures in the city. The museum explores the history and production of bricks; it also displays bricks from buildings around the world and well-known brick structures. A reconstructed Hoffmann kiln illustrates the brick-making process. Building history, materials, and production methods are presented side by side.

Maizuru Red Brick Park comprises twelve former naval storehouses dating from 1900 to 1921. Eight are designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan, and five have been converted into publicly accessible commercial facilities. Buildings 2 and 3 house a café, souvenir shops, and exhibition rooms. As visitor facilities may change, check which ones are currently available before your visit.

Castle Town and Historical Collections

The museum on the grounds of Tanabe Castle introduces the history of the castle and its town. Panels and models cover successive castle lords, including Hosokawa Yūsai, as well as life in the castle town. The exhibits also include armor and swords belonging to historical military leaders and a diorama of the castle town. Another focus is the siege of the castle and the subsequent battle of 1600, regarded as a turning point in Japanese history. Personal histories of rule, urban life, and a wider historical event are thus brought together under one theme.

Harbor Views and Maritime Themes

An approximately 30-minute harbor cruise departs from a pier east of the Red Brick Museum. From the boat, you can see, among other sights, the Japan Self-Defense Forces’ Kitazuki pier and an Aegis ship; the helicopter carrier “Hyūga,” based in Maizuru, is also among the vessels mentioned. The ships present may vary. The Kitazuki pier also appears in the film “Detective Conan: Private Eye in the Distant Sea.” Check whether the cruise is currently operating before you travel.

Higashi-Maizuru Park also offers its own view of the harbor landscape: from the hill, the view stretches across the Higashi-Maizuru urban area to Maizuru East Port and Maizuru Bay. The harbor cruise and the viewpoint offer different perspectives—one looking from the water toward maritime facilities, the other from the hill across the city and bay.

Remembrance, Learning, and Local Cuisine

The Maizuru Repatriation Memorial Museum displays paintings about people who were interned in Siberia by the former Soviet Union after the end of the Second World War in 1945. Letters to their families and diaries written during internment accompany the paintings. In Maizuru Repatriation Memorial Park, the “Peace Group” statue and song monuments bearing lines from “Ikoku no Oka” and “Ganpeki no Haha” commemorate this history.

El Mar Maizuru offers educational and hands-on activities about energy and ships, as well as a planetarium. Check current operating information before visiting. For a different kind of break, the restaurant at Maizuru Shinkai Park serves the local specialty “海鮮黒ハヤシライス,” a seafood black hayashi rice dish. As food offerings may change, it is advisable to check the current menu.

If your travel group has a mix of interests, these themes can help you choose what to include in your itinerary: castle and town history, brick construction and technology, maritime experiences, or places of remembrance.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Fukuchiyama, Nantan, Yawata, Kasagi, Wazuka, Ayabe, Miyazu, Kameoka.

For the overview of the wider region: Kyoto Prefecture.