A cup of tea with castle views at Ninomaru Chashitsu

When it comes to Japan’s castles, Kakegawa Castle isn’t the largest, grandest, or the most visited, but still has plenty of charm and history to enjoy. Originally built back in 1513, the castle succumbed to an earthquake in 1854 which caused significant destruction, and then was fully demolished in 1869. What lies at the site today is a restoration, but it’s still worth a visit if you’re in the area, particularly for some of the artifacts on display.

For 300 yen, visitors are able to head up into the castle and get some pleasant views over the city, but what I enjoyed more than the castle itself was the tea house that sits right behind it. Ninomaru Chashitsu is a traditional style tea house where you can enjoy some of Shizuoka’s finest matcha, with some phenomenal scenery to go along with it.

Whilst not Japan's largest, fanciest or most well-known castle, Kakegawa Castle is charming in its own right - and Ninomaru Chashitsu gives you a pretty great view of it!

A chance to sample tea and intricately crafted wagashi

One of the best parts about visiting Ninomaru Chashitsu is the fact that the tea is about as local as you can get without going out to pick the leaves yourself - it’s from the fields directly around Kakegawa. The matcha had a depth of flavor that I feel is characteristic of Shizuoka brews, and I’m sure the supremely local component helped that too. I always enjoy the pairing of wagashi and matcha - the “just right” sweetness of wagashi works incredibly well with the pleasant lingering aftertaste of the tea.

Matcha and wagashi - the perfect pairing!

Enjoy the pleasant views from the gardens

Aside from the lovely tea and wagashi that we were served, I really enjoyed how pleasant the views were from the venue’s garden. The windows in the tea house are floor to ceiling, which lets you really appreciate the outdoors from inside. The garden itself is filled with leafy trees, manicured hedges, and artfully placed stones, which just enhances the tranquility you’ll feel if you visit here.

The Details

Ninomaru Chashitsu is located at the Kakegawa Castle grounds, an easy ten minutes on foot from Kakegawa Station (served by the Tokaido Shinkansen and Tokaido Main Line). If you visit via private vehicle, there’s an on-site parking lot available.

The gardens surrounding the tea house are able to be enjoyed for free, but if you want to enter the tea house and enjoy some tea and wagashi the cost is 510 yen.

This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.