Tsuyama Things to Do

The Joto Street is alligned with buildings dating back to the Edo period. Many of the buildings were once the residences of samurai, and the street itself was part of the pilgrimage route from Kyoto to Izumo Shrine. Walking down Joto street gives you insight into what life was like in Tsuyama during the time when Tsuyama Castle still existed. These buildings are the type of structures many foreigners picture when thinking about traditional Japanese housing architecture, and indeed, it is very unique!

Many of the buildings today also function as shops. The shops are local shops, so you won't find anything obnoxious like McDonalds ruining the traditional atmosphere. It's well-preserved and a walk down the street is a great way to experience Japanese history firsthand. The sake shop is particularly interesting. The owners have a special way of making their sake that has been passed down within their family from generation to generation for the past 250 years! If you can speak Japanese, the owners of the sake shop will enthusiastically show you the lanterns, a hidden space where the umbrellas were kept, and the way in which the door could be shut. If you don't understand Japanese, the sake shop is still a great place to view the inside of a samurai residence, and of course, you can buy sake!

In November there is also a festival held on Joto Street.

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Shurakuen Garden is a beautiful and historical garden in Tsuyama. It was made it 1657 by Mori Nagatsugu, Tsuyama's second feudal lord, to entertain guests. The buildings in the garden are the original buildings, and they are quite well-preserved. Although the garden is not as large today as it used to be, the features of the garden that remain are the same as they were back when it was built. In the spring you can view cherry blossoms however, the beauty of this garden can be appreciated during all seasons. The first time I visited the garden was between the fall season and winter, which is probably the worst time to visit any garden in Japan, but even at this time, Shurakuen proved to be well worth visiting! I also came during the cherry blossom season, which of course, was amazing!

Surprisingly, the garden is free to enter, so I highly recommend taking a stroll through Shurakuen Garden!

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Kakuzan Park is home to the ruins of Tsuyama Castle, which was said to have been the most beautiful castle in all of Japan when it existed. It was heavily fortified and far-reaching; much larger than Himeji Castle! It is a nice walk around the ruins, and the view of Tsuyama city from the highest section is spectacular! There is historical information and pictures of the castle in in the building just near the entrance to the park. There is also a very small area of live animals. There is a boar, peacocks (including beautiful white peacocks), and a few other animals.

I find Kakuzan Park to be quite refreshing and beautiful. The turret at the edge of the castle grounds was built in 2005, but aside from this, the castle grounds feature only the ruins and well-preserved castle walls (which are still impressive). In my opinion, it's quite refreshing to be able to walk among the castle ruins and appreciate the history of the area without having a reconstructed castle, because the reconstructions do not have any real historical significance. The walk around the castle grounds can be made even more spectacular in the spring when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. There are over 5,000 cherry trees in the park; more than any other place in the Chugoku region!

It only costs 210 yen to enter for adults (100 yen for children).

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Mitsukuri Genpo (1799-1863) is a prominent figure in Japanese history, specifically when Japan first came into contact with the West. He was one of the original Dutch scholars in Japan, so his translations of Dutch texts became one of Japan's first glimpses into Western culture, influencing the government's decisions in dealing with the West (He worked as a translator for the government bureau). One of his works was a gazateer that gave information about many European countries which previously little was known about.

His residence is not very big, and the information inside is in Japanese only however, it is free to enter and it is located on Joto Street, the famous street with houses and samurai residences from the Edo Period, so it is worth stopping by for a short time to see this historical building. His grave is located in a nearby cemetary, and some of his writings are in Tsuyama's Archive of Western Learning Museum.

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If you are in Japan in the spring, when the cherry blossoms are blooming, Tsuyama is the perfect place to go to enjoy them. Tsuyama's Cherry Blossom Festival is known all over Japan for its large amount of cherry blossoms. There are over 5,000 cherry blossom trees in Kakuzan Park around the castle ruins, making it the best place in the Chugoku region and one of the top places in the nation for viewing cherry blossoms. It may be a simple pleasure, but it will be memorable.

The Tsuyama Museum of Science Education is a fun and interesting museum filled with a variety of interesting things, ranging from insects to animals to fetuses. They claim that the polar bear in this museum is the largest polar bear in the world! The museum was created by one man's collection. He was so dedicated to his museum that, when he died, he donated his body organs to his own museum, so parts of him are actually on display there, too! This is a fun museum that adults and children can enjoy.
The admission is around 700 yen.

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Shurakuen Garden was built in 1657 by the second feudal lord of Tsuyama, Mori Nagatsugu, to entertain important visitors. Although the present garden is only one-third of its former size, some of the original buildings, including the Yohokaku, Hugetsuken, and Seiryoken, remain in good condition.

Open daily 7.00 am to 8.00 pm
No entrance fee.

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The Yayoi No Sato (Yayoi Village) is life size replica, or recreation, of a village from the Yayoi period, which was about 2000 years ago. They are built just like the real village, so the buildings are as close to real thing as they can get. You can even go inside the Farmer's Pithouse.
Across the road from the Yayoi no Sato, there is a museum that has artifacts and exhibits that are also from long ago. The museum gives information about the Yayoi village. It also has many artifacts from other periods of Japanese history. For a good look at history in Tsuyama, go to the Yayoi no Sato. Both the village and the museum are free, so definitely check it out if you're in Tsuyama!