My top historical places around Tokyo

Activity > Tokyo > Sightseeing > Tokyo Station

I got kind of a "semi-late" start in studying the history of Japan. While the western area of Japan was being built up and infused with lots of structures (castles, temples, shrines bridges, etc.) Tokyo, or Edo in those days, was at first just a fishing village and then an area fortified by the Edo Clan. It wasn't until the mid 1400's that the Uesugi family actually built a castle where the current Imperial Palace is after taking control of the region when the Edo clan perished after many uprisings. Although Tokyo got a late start, it boomed in the early 1500's and 1600's when Tokugawa Ieyasu became the Supreme Shogun and moved the capital to Tokyo (Edo).

I'll admit it, I'm a castle freak. One of the main reasons I came to Japan was to experience the culture and castles were top on my list. I'm not a huge historian but I do try to read up on things before I visit them, it makes everything so much more interesting when you know the history of something before just showing up and staring at walls. "What did those walls do? Who lived inside them? What happened here?" and so on. So, my list is "Castle Heavy"... and, I have a car so on my days off I can just jump in and go wherever I want. Well, you can do that on the train too but once you get out in the country a car does make things a little easier.

Koishikawa Korakuen

I live pretty much in the middle of Tokyo. I do an office job and hit the pavement hard during the whole week. There is one peaceful savior to my sanity some days when I need a sever break from society... that place is Koishikawa Korakuen. During my lunch hour I can get over there and stroll about or just park myself in a park bench or find a nice rock to sit on and peer out over the beauty of this Japanese garden. During peak seasons they may be quite a few people in there but I always manage to find a place with some peace and quiet. See more on the Koishikawa Korakuen detail page.

Kururi Castle

I'm kind of torn with this castle. Its not a legitimate reconstruction, just a fake building, but at least there was a castle here and the building is on the grounds where the original stood. The landscape and atmosphere around the castle is also very nice. This castle is also another place where you can show up on a weekday and basically have the castle to yourself. Feel like shooting a Ninja video, go for it. It's really nice standing up on the hill or the top floor of the castle and looking out over the valleys... you kinda feel like you have stepped back in time as the quaint little farms down in the valley look as if they haven't changed in hundreds of years. See more on the Kururi Castle detail page.

Oshi Castle

I love this place for three reasons, 1.) No, its not as "big" as Odawara Castle but it has "character"! 2.) There was an incredible historic battle here and 3.) If you come on a weekday, nobody is around! Oshi Castle is also a "semi-reconstruction" of the original (not just some building built to draw tourists). I can get great pictures and videos here and just walking around the grounds takes me back to the medieval days of feudal Japan. See more on the Oshi Castle detail page.

Submitted by By Dave