🇯🇵 Japan
Castles near Kyoto
38 castles, fortresses, palaces and ruins within 100 km of the city centre — every one on the interactive map, with photos, distances and directions.
The closest is Shōren-in Temple, 1 km east of the city centre; the most famous is Himeji Castle — #12 of 3,708 worldwide — 100 km west. The oldest dated site in the circle is Daikaku-ji Temple, founded 876.
Every one of them stands in Japan — the country page shows the full national picture.
Within 25 km of Kyoto
- Kyoto Imperial Palace
2 km north · Palace & château · #122 worldwide
The Kyōto Imperial Palace, also known as Dairi or Kinri, is the former palace of the Emperor of Japan from 1331 to 1869 located in Kamigyō-ku, Kyoto,…
- Nijō Castle
2 km west · Castle · #164 worldwide
Nijō Castle is a flatland castle in Kyoto, Japan. The castle consists of two concentric rings of fortifications, the Ninomaru Palace, the ruins of…
- Fushimi Castle
8 km south · Castle · #251 worldwide
Fushimi Castle, also known as Momoyama Castle or Fushimi-Momoyama Castle, is a Japanese castle located in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto.
- Heian Palace
2 km west · Palace & château
The Heian Palace was the original imperial palace of Heian-kyō, then the capital of Japan.
- Katsura Imperial Villa
6 km south-west · Palace & château
The Katsura Imperial Villa or Katsura Detached Palace is an Imperial residence with associated gardens and outbuildings in the western suburbs of…
- Shugaku-in Imperial Villa
6 km north-east · Palace & château
The Shugaku-in Imperial Villa, or Shugaku-in Detached Palace, is a set of gardens and outbuildings in the hills of the eastern suburbs of Kyoto,…
- Daikaku-ji Temple
8 km west · Castle
Daikaku-ji is a Shingon Buddhist temple in Ukyō-ku, a western ward in the city of Kyoto, Japan.
- Jurakudai
3 km north-west · Palace & château
The Jurakudai or Jurakutei was a palace constructed at the order of Toyotomi Hideyoshi in Kyoto, Japan.
- Shōren-in Temple
1 km east · Castle
Shōren-in is a Buddhist temple located in the Awadaguchi Sanjōbōchō neighborhood of Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
- Kameyama Castle
17 km west · Castle
Kameyama Castle is a castle located in Kameoka, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. It guarded the northwest passage into Kyoto for nearly three hundred years.
- Akutagawayama Castle
22 km south-west · Ruin
Akutagawayama Castle was a Sengoku period mountain-top castle in Takatsuki, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Located on a 182.6 meter mountain.
Day trips: 25–60 km
- Osaka Castle
42 km south-west · Castle · #34 worldwide
Osaka Castle is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. The castle is one of Japan's most famous landmarks and played a major role in the…
- Azuchi Castle
37 km north-east · Ruin · #215 worldwide
Azuchi Castle was one of the primary castles of Oda Nobunaga located in the Azuchi neighborhood of the city of Ōmihachiman, Shiga Prefecture.
- Hikone Castle
53 km north-east · Castle · #359 worldwide
Hikone Castle is an Edo-period Japanese castle located in the city of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, Japan.
- Heijō Palace
36 km south · Palace & château
Heijō Palace was the imperial residence in the Japanese capital city Heijō-kyō, during most of the Nara period.
- Osaka Castle Park
42 km south-west · Castle
Osaka Castle Park is a public urban park and historical site situated at Osaka-Jō in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan.
- Sawayama Castle
54 km north-east · Ruin
Sawayama Castle was a castle in the city of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. This castle was an important military stronghold of Ōmi Province.
- Iga Ueno Castle
42 km south-east · Castle
Iga Ueno Castle, also known as Ueno Castle is a Japanese castle located in the city of Iga, Mie Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan.
- Kōriyama Castle
40 km south · Ruin
Kōriyama Castle is a flatlands-style Japanese castle located in the city of Yamatokōriyama, Nara Prefecture, Japan.
- Kannonji Castle
38 km north-east · Ruin
Kannonji Castle was a Sengoku period yamashiro-style Japanese castle located in what is now the Azuchi neighborhood of the city of Ōmihachiman,…
- Sasayama Castle
51 km west · Ruin
Sasayama Castle is an early Edo Period Japanese castle located in the city of Tamba-Sasayama, Hyōgo, Japan.
- Amagasaki Castle
46 km south-west · Castle
Amagasaki Castle was a flatland type Japanese castle located in the city of Amagasaki, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.
- Obama Castle
55 km north · Castle
Obama Castle was a seaside-style castle located in what is now the city of Obama, Fukui Prefecture, Japan.
+ 1 more in this range — every one is on the interactive map.
Farther afield: 60–100 km
- Himeji Castle
100 km west · Castle · #12 worldwide
Himeji Castle (姫路城, Himeji-jō; [çime̞ʑiꜜʑo̞ː] ) is a hilltop Japanese castle complex situated in Himeji, a city in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.
- Takeda Castle
91 km west · Ruin
Takeda Castle was a Sengoku period Japanese castle located in the Wadayama neighborhood of the city of Asago, in the northern part of Hyōgo…
- Odani Castle
68 km north-east · Ruin
Odani Castle was a Sengoku period mountain-top Japanese castle located in the former town of Kohoku, now part of Nagahama city, in Shiga Prefecture,…
- Akashi Castle
81 km south-west · Ruin
Akashi Castle is an Edo period Japanese castle located in the city of Akashi, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.
- Sunomata Castle
92 km north-east · Castle
Sunomata Castle is a Japanese castle in Ōgaki in Gifu Prefecture at the confluence of the Sai and Nagara rivers.
- Ōgaki Castle
86 km north-east · Castle
Ōgaki Castle is a flatlands-style Japanese castle located in the city of Ōgaki, Gifu Prefecture, Japan.
- Fukuchiyama Castle
66 km north-west · Castle
Fukuchiyama Castle is a castle located in Fukuchiyama, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
- Chihaya Castle
67 km south · Ruin
Chihaya Castle is a late Kamakura period Japanese castle located in the village of Chihayaakasaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan.
- Kishiwada Castle
71 km south-west · Castle
Kishiwada Castle is a Japanese castle located in the city of Kishiwada, Osaka Prefecture, Japan.
- Nagahama Castle
61 km north-east · Castle
Nagahama Castle is a hirashiro located in Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, Japan.
- Tsu Castle
75 km south-east · Castle
Tsu Castle was a Japanese castle located in the city of Tsu, Mie Prefecture, Japan.
- Takatori Castle
65 km south · Ruin
Takatori Castle was a Sengoku to Edo period yamajiro-style Japanese castle located in what is now the town of Takatori, Nara Prefecture, in the Kinki…
+ 2 more in this range — every one is on the interactive map.
Distances are straight-line from the city centre. City coordinates and population: Wikidata Q34600.
Frequently asked questions
How many castles are near Kyoto?
The Castlemap atlas maps 38 landmarks (21 castles · 6 palaces & châteaux · 11 ruins) within 100 km of the centre of Kyoto, measured straight-line — a curated selection of well-documented landmarks, not a count of every fortification ever built.
What is the closest castle to Kyoto?
Shōren-in Temple, a castle 1 km east of the city centre.
What is the most famous castle near Kyoto?
Himeji Castle, ranked #12 of 3,708 worldwide in the atlas's fame ranking — 100 km west from Kyoto.
What is the oldest castle near Kyoto?
The oldest dated landmark in the circle is Daikaku-ji Temple, founded 876 — 8 km west. Earlier structures may have existed; this is the oldest with a documented founding year.
Nearby city guides: Higashiōmi (42 km) · Osaka (43 km) · Hikone (53 km) · Kobe (63 km). See also medieval castles · all rankings · castles by country.