A rickshaw will pick you up at JR Marugame Station and take you to Marugame Castle. Please enjoy the guide’s introduction to Marugame’s history and castle town along the way.

When you arrive at Marugame Castle, a concierge will be waiting for you at Ote Ni no mon. Proceed to Ote Ichi no mon, an Important Cultural Property built in 1670, to check-in. Only three castles in Japan, Marugame Castle, Kochi Castle, and Hirosaki Castle, still have an existing castle keep and main gate. At Ote Ichi no mon gate, taiko drums are played throughout the year.

After check-in, you will be greeted with a traditional Japanese taiko drum performance. Marugame boasts various groups preserving this cultural heritage, including Marugame Basara Taiko, Sanshu Marugame Shiwaku Hachimangu Taiko, Shiwaku Shinmen Taiko, Taiko-do Ibara, and more.

After enjoying the drum performance, please head to your room. Along the way, ascend the steep slope of “Mikaeri-zaka” and marvel at the splendor of Japan’s finest stone walls.

You will have exclusive access to the castle keep at night. The castle keep, which retains its original construction, is a nationally designated important cultural property of Japan with beautifully arranged Karahafu-style and Chitori-style gables. A guide will show you around the private area.

Your room will be at “Enjyukaku Bekkan” located in the Sannomaru area. Please relax in this beautiful building that preserves the history of the Kyogoku clan until dinner is ready.

Dinner begins with a greeting from the chef and you will enjoy the local produce of Marugame. We offer a variety of natural ingredients grown locally, from seasonal vegetables to rare seafood. Enjoy the exquisite cuisine associated with the Kyogoku family, fully utilized by skilled chefs, to your heart’s content.

Head to the scenic spot “Nakazu Bansho-en” located in the city. Nakazu Bansho-en is a large daimyo garden designed with walking paths, built on the seashore of Nakazu in 1688 by the second feudal lord of the Marugame domain, Kyogoku Takato. Enjoy breakfast at the Main House while viewing the large umbrella-shaped pine tree, which is said to be about 650 years old.

You can participate in a traditional Marugame craft activity of uchiwa (fan) making at Shohantei located within Nakazu Bansho-en under the guidance of skilled artisans. Marugame’s uchiwa holds a 90% share of the Japanese market and is designated as a registered intangible folk cultural property by the Japanese government.

After the uchiwa-making experience, head to “Kanchoro,” said to be the oldest existing sencha (tea ceremony) room in Japan. Experience the sencha way, using tea leaves such as sencha and gyokuro with a teapot, while leisurely viewing the garden of Nakazu Bansho-en.