Tsuchiura Castle Ruins (Kijo Park) & Machikado-gura
Open by month
Open in January. No seasonal closure recorded. New Year (Dec 29 – Jan 3): shorter hours or partly closed.
Open in February. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in March. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in April — at its best. About 50 cherry trees around the gate, usually late March to early April.
Open in May. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in June. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in July. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in August. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in September. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in October. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in November. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in December. No seasonal closure recorded. New Year (Dec 29 – Jan 3): shorter hours or partly closed.
Checked against the official site on 2026-10-15.
The site of Tsuchiura Castle, whose surviving turret gate is the only one of its kind in the Kanto region. Nearby, Edo-period storehouses on the old Mito Kaido road serve as a visitor centre.
Nearby
- JAXA Tsukuba Space Center ≈ 25 min by car
- Ushiku Daibutsu (Great Buddha) ≈ 30 min by car
- Mt. Tsukuba ≈ 45 min by car
- Sairenji Temple ≈ 50 min by car
- Makabe Old Town ≈ 55 min by car
Travel times are rough estimates by car.
- Best time
- April — About 50 cherry trees around the gate, usually late March to early April
- Getting there
- About 15 min walk from Tsuchiura Sta. (JR Joban Line); Machikado-gura Daitoku about 10 min from the west exit
- Fee
- Machikado-gura: free
- Good to know
- Machikado-gura 9:00–18:00, closed Dec 29–Jan 3. No car park at the castle park
- Time needed
- 1 h
Checked against the official Japanese website on 2026-10-15. Report outdated info