A Must-Try for History Buffs in Shizuoka City! A Tour of Suruga Province’s Castle Seals
A "castle stamp" is a commemorative certificate that visitors can purchase as a memento of their visit to a castle or military headquarters.
Shizuoka City is home to numerous castles and military outposts built between the Muromachi and Edo periods.
These historical sites are a vital part of the region’s charm and are recognized as unique tourist attractions specific to Shizuoka City.
By collecting Oshiroin stamps while touring historical spots scattered throughout Shizuoka City, such as Kojima Jinya and Kambara Castle, you can gain a deeper appreciation for the city’s history and culture.
This is recommended not only for those who love history and castles, but also for anyone who enjoys walking around Shizuoka City and exploring the local area.
Please visit the area and experience the charm of Shizuoka City’s history through these castle seals.
[Castle Seal Price] 500 yen per seal (tax included)
Table of Contents
Kojima Jinya
This site served as the administrative center of the Kojima Domain during the Edo period.
It played a vital role as a regional stronghold supporting the Tokugawa shogunate’s governing system.
Remnants such as stone walls still remain today, allowing visitors to get a sense of what the Edo-period administrative compound was like.
[Sales Location]
① Kojima Jinya Goten Shoin
Address: 26-3 Kojima Honmachi, Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka City
TEL: 054-221-1069 (Weekdays: Shizuoka City Historical and Cultural Properties Division),
080-1586-7333 (Weekends and Holidays: NPO Kojima Cultural Heritage Preservation Society)
Access: From JR Shimizu Station or JR Okitsu Station, take the Seibu Railway Bus “Miho Yamanote Line” and get off at “Kojima Minami,” then walk 7 minutes
Hours: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM (until 3:00 PM from November to February) *Open only on weekends and holidays
Closed: Weekdays
② Suruga Health Land
Address: 1234 Okitsu Higashimachi, Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka City
Phone: 054-369-6111
Access: 5 minutes by shuttle bus from JR Okitsu Station; approx. 20 minutes by shuttle bus from the East Exit of JR Shimizu Station
Hours: Open 24 hours
③ Okitsu Zagyosho Memorial Hall
Address: 115 Okitsu Seimiji-cho, Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka City
TEL: 054-369-2221
Access: 16-minute walk from JR Okitsu Station; 5-minute walk from the Seimiji bus stop on the Shizutetsu Bus line
Hours: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM (weekdays), 9:30 AM–5:30 PM (weekends and holidays)
Closed: Mondays (or the following weekday if Monday is a holiday)
Kambara Castle
This is a mountain castle built on a hill overlooking Suruga Bay during the Warring States period.
As control shifted among the Imagawa, Hojo, and Takeda clans, it served as a vital stronghold defending the eastern part of Suruga Province.
Remnants of the castle’s bailey still remain today, allowing visitors to experience the history of the Warring States period up close.
[Sales Location]
Former Izumiya Rest Area
Address: 3-25-3 Kamabara, Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka City
TEL: 054-385-7111
Access: 5-minute walk from JR Shin-Kambara Station
Hours: 9:30 AM–4:30 PM (4:00 PM from November to February)
Closed: Mondays (or the following weekday if Monday is a holiday), the day after a national holiday (excluding Saturdays and Sundays), and the year-end and New Year holidays (Dec. 26–Jan. 5)
Abe Castle
A mountain castle known as the seat of the Kano clan, which also had deep ties to the Southern Court.
Built as a strategic stronghold overlooking the Abe River basin, many of its ruins remain to this day.
[Sales Locations]
① Sunpu Castle Park: Higashi-mon Gate and Tatsumi-yagura Ticket Office
Address: 1-1 Sunpu Castle Park, Aoi Ward, Shizuoka City
TEL: 054-251-0016
Access: 15-minute walk from JR Shizuoka Station; 12-minute walk from Shizuoka Railway Shin-Shizuoka Station
Hours: 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM (Castle Seal sales end at 4:00 PM)
Closed: Mondays (open on national holidays), December 29–January 3 (year-end and New Year’s holidays)
② Shirai Sake Shop, Ltd.
Address: 7-3-29 Maruko, Suruga Ward, Shizuoka City
Phone: 054-259-5511
Access: From JR Shizuoka Station, take the Shizutetsu Just Line “Chubu National Highway Line” and get off at “Shin-Maruko” (2-minute walk)
Hours: Mon–Sat (8:30 AM–7:30 PM); Sun & Holidays (9:30 AM–6:30 PM)
*Business hours on Sundays and holidays are subject to change
Closed: The third Sunday of each month and every Wednesday (except at the end and beginning of the month)
Maruko Castle
One of the largest mountain castles in western Suruga, fought over by the Imagawa and Takeda clans.
Numerous Sengoku-period structures, such as crescent-shaped moats and horse-mounted ramparts, remain, and it is
.
[Sales Locations]
① Sunpu Castle Park—Higashi-mon Gate and Tatsumi-yagura Ticket Office
Address: 1-1 Sunpu Castle Park, Aoi Ward, Shizuoka City
TEL: 054-251-0016
Access: 15-minute walk from JR Shizuoka Station; 12-minute walk from Shizuoka Railway Shin-Shizuoka Station
Hours: 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM (Castle Seal sales end at 4:00 PM)
Closed: Mondays (open on national holidays), December 29–January 3 (year-end and New Year’s holidays)
② Shirai Sake Shop, Ltd.
Address: 7-3-29 Maruko, Suruga Ward, Shizuoka City
Phone: 054-259-5511
Access: From JR Shizuoka Station, take the Shizutetsu Just Line “Chubu National Highway Line” and get off at “Shin-Maruko” (2-minute walk)
Hours: Mon–Sat (8:30 AM–7:30 PM); Sun & Holidays (9:30 AM–6:30 PM)
*Business hours on Sundays and holidays are subject to change
Closed: The third Sunday of each month and every Wednesday (except at the end and beginning of the month)
③ Ganso Chojiya
Address: 7-10-10 Maruko, Suruga Ward, Shizuoka City
Phone: 054-258-1066
Access: From JR Shizuoka Station, take the Shizutetsu Just Line “Chubu National Highway Line” and get off at “Maruko-bashi Iriguchi” (1-minute walk)
Hours: Mon–Fri (11:00 AM–2:00 PM); Sat, Sun, and Holidays (11:00 AM–3:00 PM, 4:30 PM–7:00 PM)
Closed: Closed every Thursday (Closed for two consecutive days—Wednesday and Thursday—only at the end of each month)
④ Tenjin-ya, Michi-no-Eki Utsunoya Pass Downhill Store
Address: 82-2 Utsunoya, Suruga Ward, Shizuoka City
Phone: 054-256-2545
Access: From JR Shizuoka Station, take the Shizutetsu Just Line “Chubu National Highway Line” and get off at “Utsunoya Iriguchi”; the store is right there
Hours: 7:00 AM–7:00 PM (7:00 AM–5:00 PM on December 31; 9:00 AM–7:00 PM on January 1)
Closed: Open year-round
Shimizubukuro Castle
This castle was built overlooking Suruga Bay as a key stronghold of the Takeda naval forces.
It played a key role in controlling maritime traffic and supported the Takeda clan’s coastal defense.
[Sales Location]
① Shimizu Port Boat House Memorial Hall “Suehiro”
Address: 1-2-14 Minatomachi, Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka City
TEL: 054-351-6070
Access: From JR Shimizu Station West Exit, take the Miho Yamanote Line from Bus Stop No. 3 (approx. 6 min ride); get off at “Minatobashi” and it’s right there
Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Closed: Every Monday (or the next non-holiday day if Monday is a national holiday), year-end and New Year’s holidays
② Shizuoka Workshop, located inside Espers Dream Plaza
Address: 13-15 Iri-fune-cho, Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka City
Phone: 054-354-3360
Access: Free shuttle bus available from the Minato Exit (East Exit) of JR Shimizu Station, via Shizutetsu Shin-Shimizu Station
Take the Shizutetsu Bus Miho Yamanote Line bound for “Tokai University Miho Aquarium / Miho Lighthouse” and get off at “Hatoba”; 1-minute walk from there
Paid parking available (first hour free)
Hours: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Closed: Open year-round
Collect them along with your castle stamps! “Jirocho Stamps”
Jirocho Shimizu is a great folk hero born in Shimizu.
Born in Bunsei 3 (1820) into a long-established family along the Tomoe River in Shimizu Port, his 74-year life—which came to a close in Meiji 26 (1893) at the “Suehiro” boat inn on the wharf—
at the “Suehiro” boat inn on the pier—was, quite literally, a dramatic life filled with ups and downs.
[Where to Buy]
Shimizu Port Boat Inn Memorial Hall “Suehiro”
Address: 1-2-14 Minatomachi, Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka City
TEL: 054-351-6070
Access: From Platform 3 at the West Exit of JR Shimizu Station, take the Miho-Yamanote Line for about 6 minutes; get off at “Minatobashi” and it’s right there
Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (Subject to change depending on passenger ship arrivals)
Closed: Mondays (or the following weekday if Monday is a national holiday); Year-end and New Year holidays
