Kameyama City is a city with a population of about 50,000 located in the central-northern part of Mie Prefecture. About 20 years ago, a home electronics manufacturer's LCD TV factory was established here, attracting a lot of attention.

If you walk from Kameyama Station on JR Kansai Main Line to the north, you will come to an intersection with a road that crosses east and west just before the pond that is the remains of the moat of Kameyama Castle. This road running east to west is the old Tokaido Road. This area still retains the atmosphere of the old Tokaido.

First, I turned right at this intersection and visited the east side of Kameyama Post Town. I walked-up the gentle slope, twisting left and right along the road lined with rows of old houses.

Each old house had the family name displayed on it, suggesting that at the time this area was lined with town houses. Along the way, you will see Henjoji Temple. It is not known when Henjoji Temple was founded, but it is thought to have existed since the beginning of the Edo Age.

The approach to Henjoji Temple extends south from the old Tokaido road. After passing through the main gate, which also serves as a bell tower, the path starts downhill and leads to the main hall.

The main hall is said to have been relocated from the entrance and the Study Hall of the Palace of Kameyama Castle in the second bailey.

From Henjoji Temple, continue up the old Tokaido road. When the old Tokaido reaches a hilltop, you will come to the site of the main gate of Kameyama Castle.

A shopping street continues on the top of the hill, and the modern Kameyama cityscape spreads out. This is the southeastern edge of Kameyama Castle. Here, the old Tokaido road turns 90 degrees from north to east.

Arcades continue on both sides of the shopping street. From the shopping street, you can look down on the distant Suzuka Mountains Range.

Hoinji and Fukusenji Temples are located on the north side of the shopping street.

Two hundred meters to the east from Fukusenji Temple, you will come to the end of the shopping street, where the arcades end. This was the site of "Edoguchi-Mon" Gate.

Coming back to the intersection between the street from Kameyama Station to the north and the old Tokaido Road, next I took the old Tokaido Road to the west.

I walked up a small slope beyond the intersection and came out into the area that was once the south side of "Nishinomaru" Bailey. At that time, the Tokaido road passed south of Kameyama Castle. Old townhouse-style buildings remain in this area as well.

If you walk approximately two hundred meters to the west from the intersection and turn left to the south, you will see Honkyuji Temple.

Honkyuji Temple was the family temple of ISHIKAWA Clan, who were the feudal loads of Kameyama Feudal Domain from 1744 until 1868.

If you return to the old Tokaido Road and head to the west from Honkyuji Temple, you will find the former TATE Family Residence.

It is an old-fashioned merchant's building and I thought it have been built from the Edo Age, but it was actually built in 1876 after six years since the Edo Age was finished.

The former TATE Family Residence is open for the public. The above right picture shows the view of the storehouse from the wooden-floored room was impressive.

Heading north from Honkyuji Temple and crossing the old Tokaido road, you will come to the site of Aoki-Mon Gate.

To the north of Aoki-Mon Gate is the site of Kameyama Castle. Once you enter the site of Kameyama Castle, you will find "samurai" residences rather than townhouses, and some buildings that retain that atmosphere even today.

The photo below shows the site of the former KATO Clan's residence.

KATO Clan was the chief retainer of Kameyama Feudal Domain, who moved from Bicchu-Takamatsu, in present-day Okayama Prefecture, together with ISHIKAWA Clan who was the feudal lord. The main residence building was a magnificent building. It was used as a temporary palace when the Kameyama castle lord's palace burned down. But, today, only the "Nagayamon" gate, storehouse, and earthen walls remain.

The below picture shows the inside of the "Nagayamon" gate. As the "Nagayamon" Gate has less windows, so it was dark inside, and the sunlight that streamed in through the windows was very impressive.

If you walk on the old Tokaido Road further west from the former TATE Family Residence, you will see another old townhouse-style building.

The building is located almost at the west end of Kameyama Castle Town.

How to get there
From Tokyo, take a "Nozomi", Tokaido Shinkansen, to Nagoya. Change to a local train on the "Kansai Main Line" to Kameyama. Kameyama Castle Town is located to the north, approximately fifteen minutes on foot.

Other Historical Sites near by:
Ruins of Kameyama Castle
Seki Post Town
Mt. Gozaisho
Iga-Ueno
Ruins of Tsu Castle
Ruins of Matsusaka Castle