Castle & Palace · Kannawa

Kifune Castle 貴船城

Castle-style building above Kannawa on the legendary site of Minamoto no Tametomo's fort, with Edo-period art and a top-floor lookout over Beppu Bay.

HoursDaily 8:00-17:00

PriceAdult: ¥300
Child: ¥150

Getting thereKannawa bus stop, 17 min walk

Time needed30-60 min

Best timeClear days, when the view reaches across the bay

Address926 Kannawa, Beppu, Oita 874-0042

Websitekifunejou.com

About

Kifune Castle stands on the hillside above Kannawa, where legend says Minamoto no Tametomo built a fort at the end of the Heian period. The present log-framed building went up in 1957 as a private reconstruction, so it is a modern castle rather than a historic one. Its first two floors show mostly Edo-period works, including Hiroshige's Tokaido Fifty-Three Stations prints and Kano Tanyu's tiger and dragon screens, and the third floor is an observation deck looking over Beppu Bay, Takasakiyama and the steam rising from Kannawa.

Highlights

Third-floor lookout over Beppu Bay and the Kannawa steam
Hiroshige's Tokaido Fifty-Three Stations prints
Kano Tanyu tiger and dragon folding screens
Golden white snake 'Kinpaku Ryuo', visited for money luck

Tips

About 17 minutes' walk uphill from the Kannawa bus stop; free parking
Pairs well with the Kannawa hells and the Kannawa steam bath nearby

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-11

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Kifune Castle 貴船城

About

Highlights

Tips

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