How to Visit Odani Castle Ruins: Access from Kawake Station, Trail Map & Highlights

Stopping here before the climb turned out to be the right call. The exhibits center on two themes: the three generations of the Azai clan, and the structure of Odani Castle itself. Excavated artifacts, historical maps, and reconstruction illustrations are all laid out clearly. Walking through this before heading up means you’ll actually know where the Ohiroma, Honmaru, and Kyogokumaru are when you reach them on the mountain — rather than staring at a sign and guessing. Note that photography and video are not permitted inside.

The first thing that grabs you is the Azai family chronology. The arc from Hisamasa to Nagamasa — two generations of a clan navigating an impossible political landscape — is laid out in detail, with panel explanations covering the Genki War (the conflict in which Nobunaga and the Azai faced off, 1570–1573). What textbooks reduce to a single sentence becomes, here, a story of strategic pressure and difficult choices.

The standout display is a letter in Nagamasa’s own hand. There’s something hard to describe about being this close to a document written by someone who died over 450 years ago — the distance between you and the past collapses unexpectedly. Also on display are a document issued by Hashiba Hideyoshi to local farmers after the castle fell, and a letter from Hashiba Hidekatsugu assigning cultivation duties to the people who remained in Odani — a rare look at what happened to the land and its people after the battle was over.

The map room features a historical plan of Odani Castle — the same type of document used in academic research on the site. Spending a few minutes with this before the climb will give you a genuine spatial sense of where everything sits, making the mountain feel far more legible once you’re on it. Among the artifacts, ceramic bowls and a bronze mirror serve as reminders that this was, above all, a place where people lived — not just a military installation.

The section on the three Azai daughters — Chacha, Hatsu, and Go — gives a clean summary of where each ended up after the castle fell. A gallery displaying portraits of Hisamasa, Oichi, Nagamasa, and Asakura Yoshikage works almost like a relationship map, clarifying each person’s position within the wider conflict at a glance.

A section titled “Number Two” frames Odani Castle’s place in history through an interesting lens: not as the seat of a ruler, but as the stronghold of those who resisted. That curatorial choice says something.

On the way out, I picked up a goshiro-in — a castle commemorative seal stamp, a popular tradition among Japanese history enthusiasts that functions something like a national park passport stamp. The museum’s original design makes it a worthwhile memento of the visit.

Hours: 9:00–17:00, last admission 16:30. Closed every Tuesday and over the New Year holiday; also closed for exhibition changes or when weather warnings are issued. Admission: ¥350 for high school students and above, ¥150 for junior high and elementary. Roughly 30 minutes on foot from Kawake Station (2.2 km). Parking is available in front of the museum.

• Three Generations of the Azai Clan: A thorough chronology and account of the Genki War puts the reigns of Hisamasa and Nagamasa in clear perspective. Primary sources including Nagamasa’s own letters are on display.
• Strong coverage of the aftermath: Documents from Hideyoshi and Hidekatsugu trace what happened to the Odani domain after the battle — a perspective you won’t find elsewhere.
• Castle structure exhibits: Historical maps and reconstruction illustrations make the castle’s layout easy to absorb before (and after) the climb.
• Seasonal appeal: Spring and autumn are ideal for pairing the museum with a mountain walk — the exhibits and the terrain reinforce each other beautifully at those times of year.

Quick visit: approx. 10 min / Thorough visit: approx. 40 min

🗺 Address: 139 Odanigujocho, Nagahama, Shiga
🚶 Getting there: Approximately 30 minutes on foot (2.1 km) from the nearest station, Kawake. By car, the Odani Castle Smart IC is straightforward, with a parking lot directly in front of the museum.

This is the visitor hub at the base of Odani Castle Ruins. The oversized samurai helmet monument out front makes it easy to spot. It’s the right place to check trail conditions and route information before heading up, and during peak tourist season it sometimes serves as the departure point for shuttle buses.

Address: 757-1 Kohokucho Ibe, Nagahama, Shiga. About 30 minutes on foot from JR Kawake Station; roughly 3 minutes by car from the Odani Castle Smart IC, with parking for up to 20 passenger vehicles. The facility only opens for events, so check the official website before visiting.

• Giant Helmet Monument: An easy-to-spot landmark at the trailhead, and a natural photo stop.
• Pre-climb orientation: Confirming the order of the baileys and your intended route here will make navigating the ruins above much more intuitive.
• Seasonal tip: In spring and autumn climbing season, this is also where to check shuttle bus schedules and any special guided programs.

Quick visit: approx. 10 min / Thorough visit: approx. 15 min

🗺 Address: 757-1 Kohokucho Ibe, Nagahama, Shiga
🚶 Getting there: Approximately 30 minutes on foot from JR Kawake Station. By car, it’s a short drive from the Odani Castle Smart IC, with parking on site.

The Demaru is a freestanding fortlet at the southernmost tip of Odani Castle’s main ridge. Built on two terraced levels with earthen ramparts and a dry moat, it commanded views over the castle town, the main road, and the Shimizudani residential complex below. During the years of alliance between Nobunaga and the Azai, this was a quiet observation post. Once that alliance collapsed, even this small outpost would have been kept on constant alert.

• Two-tiered bailey: The upper and lower levels are clearly preserved, and the logic of the Demaru as a self-contained fortlet is easy to read in the terrain.
• The outer defensive line: Standing here, you can see where Odani Castle’s outer defenses began — on the ridge tip, overlooking the town and the approach road.
• Seasonal tip: Spring cherry blossoms and fresh greenery, or autumn foliage, make the mountain terrain here especially vivid.

Quick visit: approx. 10 min / Thorough visit: approx. 20 min

🗺 Address: Kohokucho Ibe, Nagahama, Shiga (Odani Castle Ruins – Demaru)
🚶 Getting there: Following the road up from the Sengoku Guide Station (Azai Sandai no Sato), the entrance appears on your right. There is space for about two cars nearby.

The Kingomaru is a bailey projecting from the southwestern ridge of Odani Castle’s main citadel. Its name traces back to a 1525 siege: when the Rokkaku clan attacked Odani Castle, a general from the allied Asakura clan named Asakura Kingo Norikage reportedly stationed his forces here. No significant building remains survive, but the way the terrain controls the ridge tip reflects exactly the kind of defensive thinking that characterized Sengoku-period mountain castles.

• Ridge-tip placement: Positioned to hold the ridge before the main citadel begins, this is where Odani Castle’s outer defensive line took shape.
• The story behind the name: The name Kingomaru is a direct survival of the Asakura general’s presence here — one of the older military memories preserved anywhere in the castle.
• Seasonal tip: Fresh greenery in spring makes the ridge contours easy to read; fallen leaves in autumn reveal the terrain outlines more clearly.

Quick visit: approx. 5 min / Thorough visit: approx. 10 min

🗺 Address: Kohokucho Ibe, Nagahama, Shiga (Odani Castle Ruins – near Kingomaru)
🚶 Getting there: Continue along the road past the Demaru parking area. A trailhead map will appear; the entrance steps are directly behind you as you face it.

The Bansho is the point where the main approach road (Ote-michi) and the Toriga Valley path converge, marking the formal entrance to Odani Castle’s main citadel. In peacetime it functioned as a checkpoint for verifying visitors; in wartime it became the first hard line of defense. The fact that this checking point was built into the architecture — not added as an afterthought — makes clear that Odani Castle was designed for real combat, not just residence.

• Gateway to the main citadel: Above this point, the major baileys begin in sequence. This is where Odani Castle’s serious defensive architecture starts.
• Curved earthen rampart: The arc of the rampart controlling the valley approach is a particularly clear illustration of the Bansho’s military purpose.
• Seasonal tip: In the bare months of winter, the outlines of the rampart and bailey are especially legible — a good time for terrain study.

Quick visit: approx. 3 min / Thorough visit: approx. 10 min

🗺 Address: Kohokucho Ibe, Nagahama, Shiga (Odani Castle Ruins – near Bansho)
🚶 Getting there: Approximately 2 minutes on foot from the previous stop, Kingomaru.

The Ochaya is the single-terraced bailey immediately above the Bansho. Despite a name that conjures images of tea ceremonies and courtly hospitality, this was in practice a military-priority zone forming the outermost face of the main citadel. A low earthen rampart divides the bailey down the middle, while garden stones at the far end hint at a space that balanced martial necessity with a degree of formal elegance.

• The low central rampart: A gentle earthwork running through the wide bailey signals that this was no simple open courtyard.
• Garden stone traces: The juxtaposition of a heavily military layout with what appear to be garden elements is one of this spot’s more intriguing qualities.
• Seasonal tip: Early summer dappled light and autumn when the forest floor brightens both make it easier to appreciate the full width of the bailey.

Quick visit: approx. 3 min / Thorough visit: approx. 10 min

🗺 Address: Kohokucho Ibe, Nagahama, Shiga (Odani Castle Ruins – near Ochaya)
🚶 Getting there: Approximately 2 minutes on foot from the previous stop, Bansho.

The Oumaya is a bailey above the Ochaya, enclosed on three sides by tall earthen ramparts. The name suggests a stable or horse-related facility, but what strikes you first when you stand here is the height of those ramparts. This was a forward position protecting the Honmaru — in a prolonged siege, it would have served as the staging ground for troops, horses, and supplies moving up to and down from the main keep.

• Three-sided high ramparts: The enclosing earthworks are noticeably more substantial than those below, making the defensive role of this position feel immediate.
• Two fortified gateways (koguchi): Entry points at the northwest and northeast corners reflect the kind of deliberate routing control that defined Sengoku mountain castle design.
• Seasonal tip: Clear winter days open up the view northwest over the Kohoku plain — a reminder of how much territory this castle commanded.

Quick visit: approx. 5 min / Thorough visit: approx. 10 min

🗺 Address: Kohokucho Ibe, Nagahama, Shiga (Odani Castle Ruins – near Oumaya)
🚶 Getting there: Approximately 3 minutes on foot from the previous stop, Ochaya (about 0.05 km).

The Umaraiba, known on site as the Horse-Washing Pool ruins, is a stone-lined reservoir facing the northeast gateway of the Oumaya. In practical terms it served as the castle’s water supply on the mountain — a critical resource during any siege. Without facilities like this, holding out for weeks or months would have been impossible.

• Stone-lined pool construction: The fact that a reservoir this well-built exists on a mountain reflects how seriously Odani Castle’s designers took the question of long-term defense.
• Internal stone partition: A stone-wall divider runs through the pool’s interior — clearly more than a simple catch basin.
• Seasonal tip: During rainy periods, water tends to collect here, making the pool’s original form easier to visualize.

Quick visit: approx. 3 min / Thorough visit: approx. 10 min

🗺 Address: Kohokucho Ibe, Nagahama, Shiga (Odani Castle Ruins – near Umaraiba)
🚶 Getting there: Approximately 3 minutes on foot from the previous stop, Oumaya (about 0.04 km).

The Sakurababa is a two-tiered bailey above the Oumaya, directly in front of the Ohiroma. Foundation stone traces have been confirmed on the western level, indicating that this was a zone of genuine importance rather than simply open ground. From the leading edge, the Kohoku plain and Lake Biwa spread out below — one of the finest views on the entire mountain. A memorial stone tower stands quietly here, and it’s easy to understand why visitors tend to pause.

• Two-tiered layout: The difference in elevation between the two levels mirrors the increasing density of the main citadel just above.
• Views over Kohoku: One of the few genuinely open vistas in the castle ruins — a vivid reminder of how much territory Odani once commanded.
• Seasonal tip: Spring cherry blossoms live up to the name, and autumn foliage frames the wide view of the Kohoku plain beautifully.

Quick visit: approx. 3 min / Thorough visit: approx. 10 min

🗺 Address: Kohokucho Ibe, Nagahama, Shiga (Odani Castle Ruins – near Sakurababa)
🚶 Getting there: Approximately 5 minutes on foot from the previous stop, Umaraiba.

The Kubisueishi is a large boulder sitting just before the Kuroganemon Gate. According to tradition, in January 1533, Azai Sukemasa — the castle’s first lord — had the severed head of Imai Hidenobu displayed on this stone after Hidenobu was found to have conspired with the enemy. This predates the era of Nagamasa, and the story is a reminder that Odani Castle’s authority was built on a hard military order from the very beginning.

• The boulder itself: The stone has a natural, commanding presence — you tend to stop in front of it before you’ve even read the sign.
• Positioned before the gate: Just before the main citadel’s formal entrance, this placement was clearly deliberate — public punishment as a statement of power and order.
• Seasonal tip: When the leaves fall, the surrounding terrain becomes easier to read, and the relationship between this stone and the Kuroganemon Gate becomes clearer.

Quick visit: approx. 3 min / Thorough visit: approx. 10 min

🗺 Address: Kohokucho Ibe, Nagahama, Shiga (Odani Castle Ruins – near Kubisueishi)
🚶 Getting there: Approximately 2 minutes on foot from the previous stop, Umaraiba (about 0.03 km).

Known variously as the “Kuroganemon Gate ruins” or “Kurogane御門 ruins” in tourist materials, this is the formal front entrance to Odani Castle’s main citadel. Positioned at the top of the approach road, it opens directly into the Ohiroma. Stone steps and stone walls survive, with the flanking walls rising to approximately 3.5 meters — a striking statement of authority and defensive intent for a mountain castle gate.

• Stone steps and gate ruins: After the long mountain trail, stone steps suddenly appear — a clear signal that you are entering the main citadel.
• Flanking stone walls: The walls rising on both sides convey both the gate’s defensive strength and its ceremonial status.
• Seasonal tip: When the leaves fall, the stone steps and walls stand out sharply, making the gate’s full dimensions easy to take in.

Quick visit: approx. 3 min / Thorough visit: approx. 10 min

🗺 Address: Kohokucho Ibe, Nagahama, Shiga (Odani Castle Ruins – near Kuroganemon Gate; exact address unknown)
🚶 Getting there: Approximately 1 minute on foot from the previous stop, Kubisueishi (about 0.03 km).

The Ohiroma — also known as the Senjōjiki, or “Thousand-Mat Floor” — is the vast, flat bailey that forms the heart of Odani Castle’s main citadel. It served as the site of Azai Nagamasa’s administrative work, military councils, retainer audiences, and formal ceremonies. Excavations have confirmed numerous building foundations and a range of artifacts across this expanse.

• The sheer scale: Standing on a flat area this large at the top of a mountain makes Odani Castle’s political ambitions feel real and immediate.
• Stone-lined features: A well, stone drainage channels, and a storehouse foundation have all been identified — evidence of a fully functioning administrative complex, not just an open field.
• Seasonal tip: Spring to early summer, when the bailey is well-lit and open, is the best time to appreciate its full width and the stone walls that line it.

Quick visit: approx. 5 min / Thorough visit: approx. 10 min

🗺 Address: Kohokucho Ibe, Nagahama, Shiga (Odani Castle Ruins – near Ohiroma; exact address unknown)
🚶 Getting there: Approximately 2 minutes on foot from the previous stop, Kuroganemon Gate ruins.

The Akao Residence Ruins are a three-tiered bailey east of and below the Honmaru, traditionally identified as the residence of Akao — a senior retainer of the Azai clan. This is the site where Azai Nagamasa is said to have made his final stand as Odani Castle fell. Oichi had already been escorted out of the castle before the end came; with Hashiba Hideyoshi pressing from the west and the castle’s defenses collapsing, Nagamasa faced the inevitable here.

• Three-tiered layout: Even as a residential area, the terraced construction shows defensive awareness — the layers are well-preserved.
• The weight of the place: A stone monument and an interpretive panel mark the site. It’s quiet enough here that you can actually take in what happened.
• Seasonal tip: Late autumn and winter open up the views, making the terraced drops and the valley below easier to read.

Quick visit: approx. 3 min / Thorough visit: approx. 10 min

🗺 Address: Kohokucho Ibe, Nagahama, Shiga (Odani Castle Ruins – near Akao Residence ruins; exact address unknown)
🚶 Getting there: Approximately 5 minutes on foot from the previous stop, Ohiroma (about 0.23 km).

This is the interpretive panel standing at the Akao Residence ruins — the site traditionally identified as where Azai Nagamasa died. Traffic is light here, which means you can actually read it without crowds. Oichi had been escorted out of the castle just before the end; Hashiba Hideyoshi had been pushing hard from the western side, tipping the balance, and Odani’s coherence finally broke. It’s easy to glance at the stone monument and keep walking, but reading the panel shows just how much was decided here — not only for Nagamasa, but for Oichi, Nobunaga, and the man who took the castle, Hideyoshi, too.

• Panel and monument together: The stone marker is visible first, but the panel beside it fills in the context of the Akao Residence and what the location means.
• The quiet of the place: Right next to the main citadel, yet rarely crowded — this is somewhere you can stand and think about how it all ended.
• Seasonal tip: When the leaves fall, the whole bailey opens up, and you can trace the contours of the Akao Residence grounds more clearly.

Quick visit: approx. 5 min / Thorough visit: approx. 10 min

🗺 Address: Kohokucho Ibe, Nagahama, Shiga (Odani Castle Ruins – near Akao Residence ruins)
🚶 Getting there: A short distance beyond the stone monument at the Akao Residence ruins. Visible from the monument itself.

The Honmaru is the political and military nucleus of Odani Castle. Positioned above and northeast of the Ohiroma, it is ringed by steep slopes, earthen ramparts, stone walls, and the Great Moat. Old pictorial maps label it “Tenshū tomo / Kanemaru tomo” — loosely, “also known as the keep / also known as the bell tower” — and it is the site most closely associated with Azai Nagamasa. What makes the Honmaru worth exploring in person is how the defenses, the scale, and the surrounding terrain all work together.

• Elevated above the Ohiroma: The Honmaru sits one level higher than the great hall below — a physical expression of the lord’s authority.
• Stone walls and earthen ramparts in combination: Relatively rare for a mountain castle of this period, this hybrid defensive system is one of the Honmaru’s most noteworthy features.
• Seasonal tip: In winter, when the trees are bare, the Great Moat and adjacent baileys become far easier to read in relation to the Honmaru.

Quick visit: approx. 5 min / Thorough visit: approx. 10 min

🗺 Address: Kohokucho Ibe, Nagahama, Shiga (Odani Castle Ruins – near Honmaru; exact address unknown)
🚶 Getting there: Approximately 7 minutes on foot from the previous stop, Akao Residence ruins (about 0.25 km).

The Obikuruwa is a long, narrow bailey running from the Oumaya down through the slope below the Honmaru to the Shimizudani side. Odani Castle’s defenses didn’t stop at the ridge — they extended down the flanks as well, and the Obikuruwa is where that lateral thinking is most clearly visible. There are no striking building remains, but for anyone trying to understand how the castle held together as a defensive system, this corridor is indispensable.

• Elongated belt construction: Rather than following the ridge, this bailey traces the slope — an unusually clear example of how mountain castle defense extended beyond the obvious axis.
• Flanking the Honmaru: The defensive role of this corridor — protecting the main keep’s sides — is something you feel in the terrain itself.
• Seasonal tip: In winter, when the undergrowth is bare, the slope’s contours open up and the full length of the Obikuruwa becomes easier to follow.

Quick visit: approx. 5 min / Thorough visit: approx. 10 min

🗺 Address: Kohokucho Ibe, Nagahama, Shiga (Odani Castle Ruins – near Obikuruwa; exact address unknown)
🚶 Getting there: Approximately 3 minutes on foot from the previous stop, Honmaru (about 0.08 km).

The Otsuboneyashiki is a small residence ruin on the western, Shimizudani side of the Nakamaru. Quiet and slightly off the beaten path, it is traditionally associated with Oichi and the ladies-in-waiting of the castle household. There are few dramatic remains here, but the site offers a rare prompt to think about what daily life looked like within Odani’s walls — a dimension of the castle that the military installations don’t address.

• Position west of the Honmaru and Nakamaru: Slightly outside the main defensive axis, this feels like residential space — easier to imagine as lived-in.
• Connection to the Obikuruwa: Seen together with the belt bailey from the Oumaya, the circulation on the western side of the main citadel starts to make sense.
• Seasonal tip: Autumn leaf-fall reveals the terrain outlines and makes the footprint of the residence easier to trace.

Quick visit: approx. 3 min / Thorough visit: approx. 10 min

🗺 Address: Kohokucho Ibe, Nagahama, Shiga (Odani Castle Ruins – near Otsuboneyashiki; exact address unknown)
🚶 Getting there: Approximately 5 minutes on foot from the previous stop, Obikuruwa (about 0.12 km).

The Great Moat Ruins are a large-scale dry moat cut directly across the ridge just north of the Honmaru. Standing here, the way Odani Castle divides into a southern half and a northern half becomes unmistakably clear. In the final assault of 1573, Hashiba Hideyoshi pushed in hard from the direction of the Kyogokumaru, severing the connection between the Honmaru and the northern baileys — and this great moat marks precisely that fault line.

• The scale of the cut: The ridge is broken sharply just north of the Honmaru — the defensive intent is immediately obvious.
• The Honmaru–Kyogokumaru divide: Anyone thinking through how Nagamasa’s main keep related to the northern baileys needs to see this moat in person.
• Seasonal tip: In winter, the bare trees reveal the moat’s depth and the slopes on both sides — the best time for terrain reading here.

Quick visit: approx. 5 min / Thorough visit: approx. 10 min

🗺 Address: Kohokucho Ibe, Nagahama, Shiga (Odani Castle Ruins – near Great Moat)
🚶 Getting there: Approximately 3 minutes on foot from the previous stop, Otsuboneyashiki (about 0.05 km).

The Nakamaru is a three-tiered bailey that begins just beyond the Great Moat, north of the Honmaru. Despite being positioned at the back of the main citadel, it was designed to defend against attacks from both directions — including the Honmaru side — making clear that Odani Castle’s planners didn’t think in terms of a single front. It’s a useful place to think through the tactical picture as Nobunaga’s forces closed in and the castle’s internal cohesion began to break down.

• Three-tiered structure: Each level shifts the line of sight and movement, giving this rear zone a density you don’t expect for a position this far back.
• Flanking fire positions: The middle tier includes lateral attack features — a sign that this was a genuinely engineered defensive position, not just a platform.
• Seasonal tip: Autumn through winter, when stone walls and vertical earthen cuts are visible, is the best time for reading the terraced structure here.

Quick visit: approx. 3 min / Thorough visit: approx. 10 min

🗺 Address: Kohokucho Ibe, Nagahama, Shiga (Odani Castle Ruins – near Nakamaru; exact address unknown)
🚶 Getting there: Approximately 5 minutes on foot from the previous stop, Great Moat (about 0.10 km).

The Katanaarai Pond — “Sword-Washing Pool” — is a small reservoir ruin on the left-hand side of the trail between the Nakamaru and the Kyogokumaru. The name evokes a scene from battle, but in the castle’s conservation management plan it is classified as a water supply installation, essentially one of the castle’s wells. Maintaining access to water during a siege was critical, and the chronicle Shincho Koki (a contemporary account of Oda Nobunaga’s campaigns) contains a passage about besieging forces cutting off the castle’s water supply — making this small pool a more significant piece of the story than it appears.

• Bathtub-carved pool construction: The bedrock has been worked to collect water — this is crafted infrastructure, not a natural depression.
• Stone lining traces: The remains of the pool’s stone-lined sides reinforce its character as a purpose-built water facility.
• Seasonal tip: After rain or in damp weather, the pool retains water more visibly, making its original function easier to picture.

Quick visit: approx. 3 min / Thorough visit: approx. 10 min

🗺 Address: Kohokucho Ibe, Nagahama, Shiga (Odani Castle Ruins – near Katanaarai Pond)
🚶 Getting there: On the left-hand side of the trail from the previous stop, Nakamaru, as you head toward the Kyogokumaru.

The Kyogokumaru is the sprawling bailey complex beyond the Katanaarai Pond, forming the strategic core of Odani Castle’s northern zone. Second only to the Ohiroma in sheer area, it features a high earthen rampart on the eastern side, a broad open bailey on the Shimizudani side, and a stone-walled gateway in the southwest. The name is said to derive from the Kyogoku clan — the Azai family’s former lords — whom Nagamasa is thought to have housed here as protected guests. In the final assault of 1573, Hashiba Hideyoshi drove in from this direction, seized the Kyogokumaru, and severed the connection between Nagamasa in the Honmaru and his father Hisamasa in the Komaru.

The Kyogokumaru gateway is the entrance ruin on the southwest side of the Kyogokumaru, facing the Shimizudani slope. Stone wall traces and vertical earthen cuts survive, and the positioning makes plain why this was a focal point of the final attack.

• Expansive bailey: The scale here makes it easier to imagine the Kyogokumaru as both a combat zone and a troop concentration point.
• Eastern earthen rampart: A long, well-preserved rampart runs along the east side — a clear demonstration of how seriously this northern zone was fortified.
• Seasonal tip: In winter, when the undergrowth is bare, the ramparts and gateway outlines are most legible.

Quick visit: approx. 5 min / Thorough visit: approx. 10 min

🗺 Address: Kohokucho Ibe, Nagahama, Shiga (Odani Castle Ruins – near Kyogokumaru; exact address unknown)
🚶 Getting there: Approximately 8 minutes on foot from the previous stop, Katanaarai Pond (about 0.20 km).

The Komaru is the bailey above the Kyogokumaru, traditionally identified as the retirement quarters of Azai Hisamasa — Nagamasa’s father. The image of Nagamasa defending the Honmaru while his father held the Komaru to the north captures something essential about how Odani Castle was organized in its final days. As Hashiba Hideyoshi’s assault closed in, Hisamasa is said to have taken his own life here, slightly before his son. Small in area, but densely weighted with consequence.

• Position above the Kyogokumaru: One level higher, with the northern rear of the castle in view — the logic of this as a senior reserve position reads clearly in the terrain.
• Father and son at different ends of the castle: With the Komaru in mind, the father-son defense of Odani Castle becomes something you can see in the landscape rather than just read about.
• Seasonal tip: Late autumn through winter, when the leaves are gone, makes the elevation difference between the Komaru and the Kyogokumaru below it easier to feel.

Quick visit: approx. 5 min / Thorough visit: approx. 10 min

🗺 Address: Kohokucho Ibe, Nagahama, Shiga (Odani Castle Ruins – near Komaru; exact address unknown)
🚶 Getting there: Approximately 3 minutes on foot from the previous stop, Kyogokumaru (about 0.08 km).

The Great Stone Wall refers to the massive boulder construction visible around the Sannoumaru. Tourist maps give it the standalone name “Ōishigaki,” but in the castle’s formal conservation records it is catalogued as part of the Sannoumaru’s stone wall system. Seen alongside the Sannoumaru, the defensive strength of this entire final zone comes into focus — this is one of the most visually impressive survivals anywhere in the castle.

• Boulder scale and technique: Few surviving mountain castle ruins in Japan show stonework on this scale — and seeing it in person gives you a concrete sense of what Odani’s builders were capable of.
• Integral to the Sannoumaru: Understood as the defensive skin of the innermost keep, the stone wall makes the Sannoumaru’s purpose much clearer.
• Seasonal tip: During the green of new spring foliage or the color of autumn, the stone wall’s texture contrasts sharply with the vegetation — one of the better photographic moments in the ruins.

Quick visit: approx. 5 min / Thorough visit: approx. 15 min

🗺 Address: Kohokucho Ibe, Nagahama, Shiga (Odani Castle Ruins – near Great Stone Wall)
🚶 Getting there: From the Komaru, follow the trail toward the Sannoumaru; the wall appears on the right side as you go deeper.

The Sannoumaru is the innermost keep of Odani Castle. Its name comes from the Sanno Gongen (Mountain King) deity that was enshrined here — a common Shinto practice in Japanese castle construction during this era, where a tutelary deity was placed at the most protected point of the fortress. Set deepest within the northern bailey group and built on four terraced levels, it is ringed by the massive stone walls visible here. The Honmaru and the Akao Residence tend to dominate the narrative of Odani Castle’s fall, but the walk to the Sannoumaru is worth the effort for anyone who wants to fully gauge what this fortress was capable of.

• Massive boulder stone walls: A different kind of intensity from the main citadel — memorable, and easy to photograph compellingly.
• Four-tiered bailey construction: As the innermost keep, the stacked levels deepen as you move inward — defensive design taken to its logical end.
• Seasonal tip: Spring foliage and autumn color both work well here, drawing out the texture of the stonework against the surrounding forest.

Quick visit: approx. 5 min / Thorough visit: approx. 10 min

🗺 Address: Kohokucho Ibe, Nagahama, Shiga (Odani Castle Ruins – near Sannoumaru; exact address unknown)
🚶 Getting there: Approximately 3 minutes on foot from the previous stop, Great Stone Wall (about 0.04 km).