#chihayacastle

[chrouya]

[47/200] Chihaya Castle Ruins (2022-03-26) Spring has arrived in Japan, so it's time for another month of castle hopping! I still had castles remaining in Osaka and Nara; figured it'd be best to finish them up before I eventually have to move again. Normally I would use the Seishun 18 ticket for these trips, but after calculations it ended up being not only cheaper than 2410 yen per day, but also included non JR lines. Guess I can save the Seishun 18 ticket for an additional weekend. Sadly, while the weather forecast of the day before said there was 40% change of rainfall, it felt closer to 200%. Beggars can't be choosers - I'll just have to accept the additional challenge during hiking. Time to mentally prepare for mud stuck in my fingernails. First, I got off the bus at Kongozan Tozanguchi from Kawachi-Nagano and got my castle stamp at the foot of Mt. Kongo. The hiking path is relatively maintained as it's a popular path for hikers aiming for the top of the mountain, not necessarily the castle remains. This is where I made a big mistake. The map had indications of the first trail leading to the middle of the castle ruins (in between the "ichinomaru" and "ninomaru") so I figured I'd take a left first and see where I end up. But the trail just went on and on... After about half an hour I decided to consolidate the map and also checked my GPS coordinates. Turns out taking the left was the Mt. Kongo hiking path, and I was supposed to take the right path, which would then take me to the middle of the castle ruins. Turns out though, after slowly descending back to where the castle was supposed to be, there is actually not much to see. Chihaya Shrine was built on the location of the original keep, and the rest of the castle grounds are filled with abandoned shops that might have been used back in the Showa era. Online searches show that this is a popular hike during winter...perhaps a bit too cold for me. #千早城跡 #山城 #金剛山 #お城巡り #日本100名城 #続日本100名城 #chihayacastle #kongozan #yamashiro #japanesecastle #japanphoto #pixel6pro https://www.instagram.com/p/CcftyN9Pdi4/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=