Around Kakegawa Castle, about 130 cherry trees bloom each spring, including Shikizakura, weeping cherry trees and Somei Yoshino cherry trees. If you want to time your stay to coincide with the blossoms, keep in mind that the timing can vary. The castle and the town’s history, collections, tea and crafts offer other themes to consider when planning your trip.
Castle and Tokaido History
The history of Kakegawa Castle began in the Muromachi period, when the Imagawa clan commissioned their retainer Asahina to build it. Kakegawa’s former role along the Tokaido road offers another historical perspective. After the Tokugawa shogunate brought peace (1603–1867), the town became a post station on the road between Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto.
Nissaka-shuku is also part of the history of the Tokaido road. It preserves the only surviving building from the Edo period at the road’s 53rd rest stop. The castle and the history of the post station thus offer different historical themes to explore: the construction of a castle during the Muromachi period and the route’s later significance between Edo and Kyoto.
Tea, Collections and Stained Glass
Ninomaru Tea House is a traditional Sukiya-style building in Kakegawa Castle Park. Seasonal tea ceremony events are held there, including a Tanabata tea ceremony and a moon-viewing tea ceremony. Dates and programs can vary from year to year. If you want to attend a particular event, check the dates in advance.
The Ninomaru Art Museum houses the Kinoshita Collection of fine crafts and the Suzuki Collection of modern Japanese paintings. The Kinoshita Collection comprises about 2,300 objects from the Edo to Meiji periods, including tobacco accessories, inro, sword fittings, calligraphy and paintings. The museum also presents fine crafts, modern Japanese paintings and works by artists active in the region in about eight special exhibitions each year. The program can vary from year to year.
The Kakegawa City Stained Glass Museum offers a different focus on art. It displays about 70 stained-glass works, many made in English workshops in the 19th century, and holds workshops on making stained glass. Its art offerings range from historic collection pieces and paintings to working with glass.
Residential History and Local Crafts
Takenomaru was the former main residence of the Matsumoto family, who ran Matsuya, a wholesale 葛布 business established in the Edo period. Kakegawa City designated Takenomaru a cultural property on January 30, 2007; it opened to the public on May 30, 2009. These dates describe its designation and opening at the time. Check current visiting conditions before your visit.
About two dozen stalls line both sides of Honjin Street. Together, they form a distinctive village where local crafts are sold, and the stalls also serve food. This gives visitors two specific things to explore along the street: regional crafts and food.
Plan Your Trip and Accommodation
Kakegawa Station is on the JR Tokaido Shinkansen line. Also decide which themes you want to shape your stay—for example, the castle and art, Tokaido history, seasonal tea, or crafts and food. You can then compare the location of your accommodation with the places you actually plan to visit.
For a spring visit, the cherry blossoms around the castle are one possible seasonal highlight. Art lovers can include the collections and stained-glass workshops in their plans. If tea ceremonies are a particular interest, bear in mind that their dates vary.
Discover more destinations: Numazu, Shizuoka, Higashiizu, Minamiizu, Fujieda, Makinohara, Ito, Izunokuni.
For the full travel overview: Shizuoka Prefecture.
