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Oda Castle Ruins

Oda Castle was the residence of the Oda clan, an incredibly influential family in the area from the 12th to 17th centuries. Currently, only the ruins of the castle remain.

At the time, the Imperial Court was divided into the Northern Court in present-day Kyoto and the Southern Court in present-day Nara Prefecture. The castle was the regional headquarters for the Southern Court during the Nanbokucho period (1336-1392), a time of conflict between the two courts, and is a designated national historic site.

During the 20th century, the center of the castle was bisected by the tracks of the Tsukuba Railway.

After Tsukuba Railway became defunct in 1987, almost the entire line was redeveloped into Tsukuba Ring Ring Road. The section of the tracks that bisected Oda Castle was modified to go around outside the ruins. However, the railway tracks remain a passage cut and feature a cross-section view of the castle earthwork.

The earthwo…

Inaba Shuzo Brewery

Founded in 1867, Inaba Shuzo uses spring water from Mount Tsukuba to brew sake. In addition to the rice and pure water that forms the basis of all good sake, Inaba Shuzo carries out each step of the brewing process by hand using skilled local staff. This results in a refined and elegant beverage unique to the slopes of Mount Tsukuba.

Osugi Shrine

Osugi Shrine is dedicated to Anba-sama, a deity traditionally associated with fishing villages. In fact, shrines devoted to Anba-sama are rare. In particular, Osugi Shrine is known for its brightly-colored green and vermillion buildings. Visitors to the shrine can pray for protection from bad luck and misfortunes. Participants drive out lousy luck with music during one of the shrine's annual festivals. Local governments even designate the dancing as an intangible folk culture asset.