Three Turrets of Ozu Castle
The Ozu Castle (大洲城) is a group of castle turrets of 1843 to 1861 in Ozu, Ozu City, Ehime Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on June 18, 1957 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records three turrets, the Kitchen Turret (1859), the Railing Turret (1861) and the Owata Turret (1843), each of two storeys under a tiled roof; designation number 01416.
The Three Turrets
The Kitchen Turret is the largest of the 4 surviving turrets of Ozu Castle and is linked to the keep by a connecting turret (Ozu City). It was badly damaged in the great earthquake of 1857 and rebuilt two years later. A third of its ground floor is an earth floor, used as a kitchen for the garrison in a siege, with lattice windows to let out smoke.
The Railing Turret stands at the entrance to the main enclosure and is linked to the keep to its north (Ozu City). Its upper roof carries a cusped gable, its south-west corner a projecting stone-drop, and the gallery outside its windows a railing with onion-shaped finials. The Agency dates it to 1861, while Ozu City gives its rebuilding as 1860.
The Owata Turret stands alone at the east corner of the second enclosure, facing the Hiji River and guarding the east side of the castle (Ozu City). It was rebuilt in 1843 and has a projecting stone-drop at its outer corner. Repeated flooding damaged it, and in 1959 it was dismantled and repaired, its stone base raised by about 2.6 metres.
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
The Agency designated the three turrets together as one Important Cultural Property. Ozu City notes that a railing on a turret is extremely rare, and that the Railing Turret is thought to have ranked second only to the keep.
What to Look For
Ozu City describes the castle as built on a hill beside the Hiji River, which served as a natural moat. It was the seat of the Kato family from 1617 to 1869, but its 18 turrets were lost one after another in the Meiji era, and the keep itself was pulled down in 1888. In 2004 a four-storey keep was rebuilt in timber, and the Kitchen and Railing Turrets are joined to it on either side.
Look for the Kitchen and Railing Turrets flanking the keep, the railing round the Railing Turret's gallery, and the stone-drop of the Owata Turret standing alone by the river (Ozu City). In the south corner of the third enclosure stands the San-no-maru South Corner Turret, designated separately.
Visiting
According to Ozu City, the castle is 5 minutes by car or 15 minutes on foot from Iyo-Ozu Station. All three turrets are owned by Ozu City (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official information on opening hours or fees was found.
Q&A
- How many turrets are designated?
- Three: the Kitchen, Railing and Owata Turrets, designated together (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is special about the Railing Turret?
- Its gallery has a railing with onion-shaped finials, which is extremely rare on a turret (Ozu City).
- Is the keep original?
- No. It was pulled down in 1888 and rebuilt in timber in 2004 (Ozu City).
- How do I get to Ozu Castle?
- 5 minutes by car or 15 minutes on foot from Iyo-Ozu Station.
- When was the Ozu Castle designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On June 18, 1957 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Ozu Castle (大洲城) |
|---|---|
| Location | Ozu, Ozu City, Ehime Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1957/06/18 (Showa 32) |
| Quantity | 3 buildings |
| Dimensions | Kitchen, Railing and Owata Turrets (each 2 storeys, tiled roof) |
| Owner | Ozu City |
| Public Access | 15 minutes on foot from Iyo-Ozu Station |
References
- Ozu Castle (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/3376
- Ozu Castle heritage leaflet (Ozu City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.ozu.ehime.jp/bunkazaitanbou/pdf/ozu_jp.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.19
Cultural Treasures in the Same Area
All are within walking distance in the same area, so we recommend visiting them together.
- Ozu Castle Ramie Yagura 0.00 km
- Ozu Castle Kitchen Tower 0.15 km
- Ozu Castle Parapet tower 0.16 km