Tsuwano Castle

Tsuwano is a small castle town in a mountain valley whose main street is lined with white-walled samurai residences, stone-lined water channels, and hundreds of koi carp. The ruins of Tsuwano Castle can be reached by chairlift and look down over the valley. Taikodani Inari Shrine, one of Japan's five largest Inari shrines, sends nearly 1,000 vermillion torii gates climbing the forested hillside. A Catholic church nearby marks the suffering of Christians exiled here during persecution in the late 1800s. The town is also known for handmade washi paper and locally brewed sake.