Garyu Sanso and Ozu Castle, plus sightseeing train “Iyonada Monogatari”

[Introduction]

I traveled to Ehime and Kagawa Prefecture for 4 days and 3 nights. In this article, I will write about Garyu Sanso and Ozu Castle, both of which are the famous sightseeing spots in Ozu city.

[Visit Places (series of articles)]
* Ozu City part 1: Old town (Related article)
* Ozu City part 2: Garyu Sanso and Ozu Castle (This article)
* Shimonada: Shimonada station (Related article)
* Imabari City: Imabari Castle etc. (Related article)
* Shimanami Kaido: Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge (Related article)
* Shodoshima Island part 1: Nijushi no Hitomi Movie Village (Related article)
* Shodoshima Island part 2: Shodoshima Olive Park (Related article)
* Shodoshima Island part 3: Angel Road (Related article)
* Shodoshima Island part 4: Meiro no machi (Maze Town) etc. (Related article)
* Matsuyama City: Tram, Botchan train and Mikyan (Related article)

[Travel Dates]
2015.07.25 – 28

[Main Part]

Following my previous post, I continued to travel in Ozu city and visited Garyu Sanso and Ozu Castle.

Garyu Sanso

Garyu Sanso is a villa that was built in 1907. There are three wooden buildings and a traditional Japanese garden. In 2011, Garyu Sanso was awarded one star in the Michelin Green Guide Japan. So, I saw not only Japanese tourists, but also foreign visitors there.

Garyu-in, main building.

Japanese garden

Spectacle view from Furo-an

Ozu Castle

Ozu Castle was originally built in 1331 and deserted around 1870’s. Then, it was reconstructed in 2004.

Around the castle

Interior of the castle

You can see Hiji-kawa river and  a land bridge from the caslte

Combination of Ozu Castle, Hiji-kawa river and the JR Yosan line

The following photos are the combination of Ozu Castle, Hiji-kawa river and the JR Yosan line. In particular, the red train in the first two photos is “Iyonada Monogatari”, a special sightseeing train that only runs during the specific dates.

[Closing]

Regarding Ozu City, Stefan Schauwecker, who is Swiss and runs “japan-guide.com”, introduces it in his book. He recommends Ozu Castle and Garyu Sanso, so I decided to visit there. Actually, I enjoyed visiting Ozu than I expected.

In the next article, I will write about Shimonada Stationin in Iyo, Ehime Prefecture. It’s just a local train station, but very famous especially among railroad fans and photographers for its beautiful scenery.

[Related Link]
Garyu Sanso (in japan-guide)
Ozu Castle (in japan-guide)