Takeda Castle Ruins

There are various castles in Japan. Nagoya Castle, Osaka Castle and Kumamoto Castle - known as the Three Famous Castles of Japan - are built on flatland. Also, besides the flatland ones, some castles were constructed on the mountaintops to protect them from enemy invasion. Of these, Takeda Castle in Hyogo Prefecture is especially famous.

Takeda Castle stands on top of Mt. Kojo at an altitude of 353 meters. From autumn to winter, thick fog rises in early mornings with clear sky and envelops the castle ruins in a sea of clouds. This fantastic scenery looks like a castle floating in the sky.

The castle is said to have been built around 1443, at that time, there was no stone wall. The stone walls, built around 1585, are one of the largest-scale stonewalls among the existing mountain castles in Japan.

Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture is the location of the JMSDF’s Sub Area Activity Hanshin. This base is the home of the Sub Area Activity Hanshin Headquarters, the Base Facility Yura, the Degaussing Range Station Kariya and the Minesweeper Division 42. They play an important role in the security of the Keihanshin area by providing defense and security mainly in the Osaka Bay, the Kii Channel, and other regional territorial waters. This base also provides logistic support to naval vessels and aircraft.