Yamatokoriyama: From Koriyama Castle Ruins and the Town of Goldfish to Jiko-in Temple

This route takes you on foot from Kintetsu-Koriyama Station to the Koriyama Castle Ruins to enjoy the stone walls of the tenshudai (castle keep base) and its panoramic views. From there, head south through the castle town to compare various goldfish at the Koriyama Goldfish Museum, and conclude by taking a bus to Jiko-in Temple to take in the thatched shoin (study) and shaped hedge garden.

History and Local Charm

Yamatokoriyama is a town of castles and goldfish. Koriyama Castle is an early modern fortress built at the southern end of the Nishinokyo Hills in the Nara Basin. In 1585, Toyotomi Hidenaga, younger brother of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, entered the castle and greatly expanded it as a daimyo commanding one million koku across the three provinces of Kii, Izumi, and Yamato. Hidenaga brought in merchants from Nara and Sakai, and also established a local self-governance system called "Hakomoto."

In 1724, Yanagisawa Yoshisato relocated from Kofu to Koriyama Castle, and the Yanagisawa clan governed here for six generations spanning 145 years. It is said that goldfish in Yamatokoriyama were introduced when Yoshisato moved from Kai Province. Cultivation initially began as a side job for lower-ranking samurai, and from the late Edo period to the early Meiji period, it spread as a secondary business among nearby farmers, developing into one of Japan's major production centers.

Koizumi, where Jiko-in Temple stands, was home to another feudal domain called the Koizumi Domain. Its second lord, Katagiri Sadamasa, was a tea master widely known by the name Sekishu. In 1663, he founded Jiko-in Temple as a family temple for his father, designing the entire temple grounds as a single tea ceremony venue. In half a day, you can trace the Edo-period heritage of the castle, the town, and the tea ceremony.

Highlights

• ​Koriyama Castle Ruins​​: An upside-down stone Jizo statue is embedded into the stone walls supporting the tenshudai (castle keep base). There are also stones said to be foundation stones from the Rajomon Gate. Through a civic movement, the Otemon Gate was restored in 1983 to a form close to when Hidenaga originally built it. From the tenshudai, you can see Mt. Wakakusa as well as World Heritage sites such as Todai-ji Temple and Yakushi-ji Temple, and look out to Mt. Ikoma and Mt. Kongo in the distance.
• ​Koriyama Goldfish Museum​​: Opened in 1982, this is a private museum operated by Yamato Kingyoen, a goldfish farm. Around 40 varieties of goldfish—ranging from ancestral and luxury strains to breeds of conservation concern—swim in individual aquariums organized by variety. The museum also displays antique books and ukiyo-e woodblock prints related to goldfish, including "Kingyo Sodategusa," considered to be Japan's first goldfish-raising guide.
• ​Jiko-in Temple​​: Passing through the thatched sanmon (main gate), which was relocated from Ibaraki Castle, brings you to a thatched shoin (study) reminiscent of a rural farmhouse. Sitting inside the shoin reveals a garden of rounded satsuki azalea hedges and pruned trees, with the distant eastern mountains of Yamato serving as borrowed scenery. The shoin and teahouses are designated Important Cultural Properties, and the garden is designated a national Historic Site and Place of Scenic Beauty.

Suggested Itinerary & Time Required

The estimated time required is about 4 hours. From Kintetsu-Koriyama Station, it is a 7-minute walk to Koriyama Castle Ruins. Entering the castle grounds via the main entrance, you will see the Otemukai-yagura turret and Otemon Gate. Pass through the gate and ascend to the tenshudai in the honmaru (main bailey) to see the upside-down Jizo in the stone wall and enjoy the view from above. In spring, approximately 800 cherry trees known as "Gotenzakura" adorn the castle grounds.

From the castle ruins, it is about 1.1 kilometers south to the Koriyama Goldfish Museum. In the castle town's Konyamachi, you will find Hakomotokan "Konya," a restored merchant house originally used by indigo dyers since the Edo period, where you can view the "Goldfish Collection" of arts and crafts featuring goldfish motifs. At the museum, it is recommended to first compare the breeds in the indoor aquariums before browsing the historical literature and tools on display. The museum has set closing days, so checking ahead before your visit is recommended.

Return to Kintetsu-Koriyama Station, an approximate 10-minute walk from the museum, and board a Nara Kotsu bus bound for Horyu-ji Temple for about 19 minutes, getting off at "Katagiri Nishi Shogakko." This "Katagiri Nishi Shogakko" bus stop is the closest to Jiko-in Temple, which is about a 3-minute walk away. The slope leading off the paved road up to the first gate serves as the omotesando (main approach) to Jiko-in Temple. Pass through the thatched Ibaraki Castle Romon Gate and proceed to the shoin. For your return, it is about an 18-minute walk to JR Yamato-Koizumi Station.

Experience Wrap-Up

This itinerary allows you to feel the momentum of castle-building in the stone wall's upside-down Jizo, reflect on town life through goldfish in their aquariums, and face a tranquil garden from a thatched shoin. When seated in the shoin at Jiko-in Temple, gaze out from the room with its lowered ceiling and lintels toward the Yamato mountains spreading beyond the manicured hedges.