Ueda Castle Ninomaru Ruins — Attraction in Ueda

Came here 4/10/2022 and the sakura were all in full bloom. Depending on the year, the time of the bloom will change so check before you go. There were many food stalls selling your standard Japanese snack foods. I walked around the moat about 3 times just to admire the beautiful sakura trees on both sides.

TIP: In the middle of the moat is this small park that everyone just tends to overlook so it's not that crowded. Bring or buy food from the food stalls and eat it here. If you have a tarp, you can spread it out on the grass. There are also benches you can sit on as well. I climbed up the stairs and got a seat under a gazebo, right in front of a GORGEOUS pink sakura tree.

Highly recommend this place during cherry blossom season. I personally wouldn't plan a trip here off-season though since there's not much of a castle to see (but I'm just not a castle person in the...

Really lovely castle with a very rich history of one of the coolest samurai clan in all of Japan, the Sanada clan, famous for their samurai uniform with antlers and red color (you've probably seen in movies). Ueda castle also had legendary defense battles against many sieges, the subject of a popular Japanese tv show "sanadamaru". The castle is also featured in other works such as "Summer Wars". While the castle gates aren't as big as Matsumoto castle, I think they are definitely worth visiting if you are in the area..they have amazing armor on display and a rich cultural center and...

Had a lot of fun here during the spring festival! There were so many people, but the atmosphere was wonderful. There were a lot of cherry blossom trees and other flowers too. There was a street performer doing magic tricks. There were food trucks, and plenty of parking. I want to come every spring.

It is free to enter but you need to pay for parking.

Tip: Bring your own water because the water is ¥400 here. The fries I bought from a stall were soggy too but still edible. The parking is also a bit more expensive during...