Iwamura Castle Town

Iwamura Castle Ruins

Iwamura Castle (岩村城 Iwamura-jō) was located in the southeastern area of Mino Province in Japan. Its ruins can be found in the modern-day town of Iwamura in Ena District, Gifu Prefecture.

The castle was first founded in 1185 by Kato Kagekado who was the vassal or retainers of Minamoto no Yoritomo[2] and from the 13th to 16th centuries, it was in the fief of the Tōyama clan (遠山氏 Tōyama-shi). In the late 16th century, Toyama Kageto (who became a retainer of Oda Nobunaga) would be the last of the Toyama family to hold the castle.

In 1873 Iwamura Castle was dismantled under a castle abolishment law. Today some stone walls and a turret are what remains of the old castle. Today Iwamura Castle is considered in the top 3 examples of mountaintop castles in Japan.

Tokujoji Yamamon gate is the relocated Tokimon gate of Iwamura Castle

Iwamura Castle Town

Access via Akechi Railway

The Akechi Line (明知線 Akechi-sen) is a Japanese railway line in Gifu Prefecture connecting Ena and Akechi stations, which are both located in Ena. There are stations located in Nakatsugawa city as well. [Japanese Akechi Line web page]

It takes 29 minutes from Ena station to Iwamura station.

Hiking from Iwamura Castle Ruins