Sekiyado Castle Museum

Geography, History and Scenery

The design of the castle, rebuilt in the 1990s, is based on a turret at Edo Castle, but it looks like it’s always been there on a rose above the Toneand Edo Rivers. The castle is a museum documenting the massive public works projects required to protect the region from flooding. Museum exhibits show how farmers and merchants had to come with periodic changes in the levels and courses of the Tone and Edo Rivers. The Tokugawa shogunate redirected the rivers, tamed them and made them into a highway for goods and people serving the capital. The displays are clear and easy to understand, and some detailed English language pamphlets are available. The sweeping view from the castle keep on a clear day is amazing. You can just spot Skytree, and a dozen mountains from Fujisan to Nantaisan at Nikko to Tsukubasan in Ibaraki. There is a traditional garden, a souvenir shop outside the gate, and a tea shop below the castle wall.