| Gujo Hachiman Castle | 郡上八幡城 |
| Matsumoto (松本市) | September 17, 2018 |
The gojoin for Gujo Hachiman Castle in Gujo, Gifu Prefecture. I had no idea castles could have goshuin unitl I got this one.
Gujo Hachiman Castle is high up on Mt Hachiman above the city of Gujo and can be seen from the tollway there. It was originally built in 1559 but demolished by the Meiji government in the 1870s in accordance with the Haijo Edict, however the tenshu, or castle keep, was later rebuilt as a museum based on Ogaki Castle’s design in 1933.
Gujo is also famous for their wax food samples. There are a few places where you can make some yourself and several shops that sell food-shaped keychains, earrings, magnets, and more. In addition, the city is also near two rivers, so the fish is excellent.
If you’re here during obon season, you can also watch or participate in Gujo Odori Dance Festival. It’s a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage now. You can enjoy the festival for 30 nights from mid July until the beginning of September.
Gojoin are relatively new in Japan. Goshuin are growing more and more popular each year, resulting in an increase go-whatever-in. Now there are gojoin, gobuin, and more. Gojoin is written 御城印. The only character that’s different is the middle one, 城, which means castle. Castle in Japanese is “shiro”, but can also be read “jo”, resulting in the word “gojoin”.
Gujo Hachiman Castle (Japan-guide)
