Shizuoka Travel: Sumpu Castle Ruins

Sumpu Castle (�x�{��, Sumpujō) was built by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1586 and later served as his retirement home. Shizuoka City, at that time called Sumpu, developed around the castle, which remains at the center of the city, a ten minute walk from JR Shizuoka Station. None of the original castle buildings remain, and the grounds now mostly consist of park space.

Throughout its history, Sumpu Castle was destroyed and rebuilt many times. With the Meiji Restoration in the late 1860s, the Tokugawa family was stripped of its power and the country's new rulers dismantled the castle. In 1949, the innermost courtyards of the former castle grounds were converted into a public park, Sumpu Park, which remains surrounded by a moat.

In recent decades, efforts have been made to restore parts of the former castle. The East Gate and an adjoining guard tower were reconstructed according to original construction plans. The reconstruction can be entered and exhibits informative models and displays about the castle.

In 2001, the attractive Momijiyama Japanese Garden was opened in the park's northeastern corner. In the style of a traditional landscape garden, it features a pond at its center, a man made hill and a network of walking trails. The hill represents Mount Fuji and is surrounded by azaleas that represent tea leaves, Shizuoka's most famous local product, while a pebbled part of the pond's shores represents nearby Miho Beach. Local tea is served in a teahouse in the corner of the garden.