Autumn at Binchu Matsuyama Castle 2019.11.21

The castle tower, which stands near the summit of Mt. Usushi at a Elevation of 430 meters, is National Important Cultural Property and Located in the tallest mountain castle with an existing castle tower. Origin from the Kamakura period, when Jitou Akiba Shigenobu of Arihan Township (present-day Arihan Towns, Takahashi City) built a castle on Mt. Omatsu, and in 1683 (Tenwa San) it was repaired by Mizutani Katsumune over a period of three years, and it became the current castle tower.

Since this area connects San'in and Sanyo and intersects the main east-west highways, fierce battles were constantly fought during the Warring States period, and the castle owner was constantly changing hands at a dizzying pace.

Around Tojozaka, a huge sheer rock wall with a height of more than 10 meters rises, and you can see the appearance of the "impregnable castle" where the people of the old days rolled their tongues. The contrast between the white plastered walls and the black waist board, the beautiful castle tower shines against the blue of the sky. Autumn leaves on the trees near Otemon in autumn, and the view of the rock walls covered in fiery vermilion is spectacular.

There are only 12 castle towers in Japan that exist before the Edo period. Among them, only this Binchu Matsuyama Castle still has a castle tower as a mountain castle.

The Observation deck overlooking Binchu Matsuyama Castle floating in the sea of clouds (Unkai Observation deck) is a point where you can see the castle tower of Binchu Matsuyama Castle from the side, which stands on the top of Mt. Usushi at an Elevation of 430 Meters. Especially in the early morning from autumn to Spring, the sea of clouds Unfolds all over, and if you are lucky, you can see "Binchu Matsuyama Castle floating in the sea of clouds" as shown in the photo. However, a sea of clouds does not occur unless weather conditions such as a large temperature difference between day and night and no wind are met. In addition, if the sea of clouds is too thin or too thick, you will not be able to see "Binchu Matsuyama Castle floating in the sea of clouds".

Period when the sea of clouds occurs is in the early morning of late September ~ early April. There are snow from December to the end of February. The hours are from dawn to about 8 am, and you can expect thick morning fog, especially in the early morning of late October ~ early December. One of the criteria for determining the conditions for the appearance of a sea of clouds is "good weather and a large difference in temperature between morning and daytime".