Kinojo Castle is perched on the mountain top looking over Soja City. When you are walking up to the castle ruins you can stop at a few advantage points to look down on the vast landscape of Soja, Okayama, and Kurashiki and on a fine day you can see the Seto Inland Sea.
I have lived in Soja for about 17 years now and whenever I am driving around the city or returning home you can see the white wall that runs along the edge of the mountain. Before I wrote this article I thought it was important for me to go up there again to get inspired. The day I went was so perfect, no clouds in the sky, the feeling of spring was in the sweet smeill in the air, of flowers blooming and trees breathing.
When you stand at the entrance you think how this structure could have been built hundreds of years ago. You try to imagine the genius behind this structure and the blood and sweat that went into bringing the materials needed to build it. The castle no longer stands but you get an idea of the size and grandeur of it by just looking at the ground where some pillars still remain.
At the entrance to the hill is a center that has a model of what the castle looked like and of course other images related to the history of this location. Unfortunately, there is no information in other languages but as a long term resident of this city I will try to get something done ASAP.
Probably I should have started with what this castle is famous for and that is the story of Momotaro (Peach Boy), the demons in this story are said to have come from this castle. Today, I think the mythical fears that existed centuries ago have reversed as I think this castle now looks over City with a positive energy force.
To get to the top of the hill there are only a few options. You can catch a bus to Sunagawa Park from Soja Train Station and from there walk up the mountain. This walk is not for the faint hearted but if you like to hike then this walk is perfect. You can drive up the mountain but I would recommend using a smaller sized car because the road is pretty narrow.
Finally, at the top there are a number of trekking walks that are popular. On most days you will see people walking and enjoying nature and the view.
