Ganjaku Castle

The main fortress of this mountain castle is located on the top of Mt.
It is said to have been built in 1158 by his vassal Kagechika Ohba at the order of Taira no Kiyomori.

Although not so high in elevation, the castle was built on a mountain that was a training ground for mountain asceticism, and was reputed to be “the most solid castle in Bizen” and “impregnable.

Since its construction, however, the castle was repeatedly attacked by various feudal lords, including Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who sought to conquer Kyushu.
After Hideyoshi Toyotomi’s conquest of Kyushu, the castle continued to exist as an attached castle to Kokura Castle, but was abandoned in 1615 due to the One-Country-One-Castle Law. 

A partial reconstruction of the keep of Ganjaku Castle is located in Soeda Park at the foot of the mountain, which is famous for its cherry blossoms.
The building has one basement floor and three stories above ground, with the Soeda Art Museum on the first floor and an observatory on the third floor.
The park was opened as an urban park, and in spring, the park is decorated with approximately 1,600 cherry trees, including Someiyoshino cherry trees.

The remains of the castle, including stonewalls and moats, remain on Mt. Iwaseki, and the entire area can be viewed from the main fortress.