Kōfu Castle Ruins

Yamanashi, Japan

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Kōfu Castle Ruins, also known as Maizuru Castle, are located in the city of Kōfu, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. The castle was constructed in the late 16th century by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, after the fall of the Takeda clan, to serve as a strategic stronghold near Edo (modern Tokyo).

It was well-maintained through the Tokugawa shogunate until the Meiji Restoration when it was abandoned and mostly demolished by 1877 as part of the government's order to dismantle old fortifications. Today, the site is a public park called Maizuru Castle Park, featuring restored gates, stone walls over 400 years old, and a turret called Inari Yagura.

The park is famous for its cherry blossoms and offers panoramic views of the city and, on clear days, Mount Fuji, serving as both a historical landmark and a recreational spot.