Kakegawa Castle Keep & Ninomaru Palace, Kakegawa, Shizuoka

Live Camera | Kakegawa Castle Wooden Keep, Kakegawa, Shizuoka, Japan. Crowned atop a central hill in the historic castle town, Kakegawa Castle is celebrated as Japan's very first authentic wooden reconstruction of a feudal castle keep, faithfully rebuilt using traditional Edo-era carpentry techniques under daimyo Yamauchi Kazutoyo. Below the gleaming white plaster keep stands the rare, original Ninomaru Palace. Visitors take tea at the Ninomaru Chashitsu teahouse, sipping prize-winning Kakegawa Fukamushicha (deep-steamed green tea) paired with seasonal wagashi sweets and warm kuzu-yu arrowroot soup. ✦ Must-Visit Highlights: ▸ Japan's First Authentically Reconstructed Wooden Keep: Climb historic cedar staircases to the top floor for expansive castle town views. ▸ Intact Edo-Period Ninomaru Palace: Tour one of only four surviving original daimyo palace residences across all of Japan. ▸ Award-Winning Kakegawa Fukamushicha: Relish rich, velvety deep-steamed green tea accompanied by delicate traditional tea sweets.