OZU
CASTLE STAY

Get the Royal Treatment as
the Next Lord or Lady of Ozu Castle

Concept

It is often said that a person’s home is their castle. In the city of Ozu on Shikoku, one of the four main Japanese islands, that saying takes on a more literal meaning with the first-of-its-kind Ozu Castle Stay, which allows guests to make a restored Japanese fortress their home for a night. But the experience is about more than just staying at a historic castle. It is the highest form of travel, where you get to immerse yourself in local culture and get to know Ozu City in the truest sense of the word.

Ozu Castle was destroyed and rebuilt many times over the years, with the main keep having been reconstructed as recently as 2004. Yet the stronghold continues to be a part of Ozu’s living history and the timeless landscape of Ehime Prefecture. It’s a place that you can enjoy with your body, mind, and soul.

Discover Ozu

Located not far from Matsuyama, the capital of Ehime, Ozu once thrived as a bustling castle town that came to be known as the Little Kyoto of Iyo, with Iyo being the old name for the Ehime region in western Shikoku. Today, like Kyoto, Ozu is a repository of traditional Japanese values and cultural treasures set against a quiet natural backdrop that changes quite dramatically with the seasons. From the colorful azaleas atop Ozu's Mount Tomisu and the blooming cherry trees in spring to the fiery foliage of fall, Ozu continuously offers travelers new experiences all year round.

Expand Your Itinerary

Spending a night at a Japanese castle and living like a samurai lord is an experience like no other, but that doesn’t have to be the end of your exploration of Shikoku. The Ozu Castle Stay is also a great opportunity to visit Matsuyama’s Dogo Onsen, the oldest Japanese hot spring mentioned in the Kojiki, an eighth-century chronicle and the earliest surviving literary work in the country. And for the stroll of a lifetime, walk along the Shimanami Kaido, a road connecting Shikoku to Japan's main island of Honshu, which affords pedestrians and cyclists unparalleled views of the Seto Inland Sea. With other historical and natural destinations like the Besshi copper mine and the Nametoko Gorge, Ozu can be your gateway to the wonders of Japan’s often-overlooked island.

Our Story

In 1617, Sadayasu Kato took his seat as the lord of Ozu Castle, ushering in 250 years of his family’s rule of the region. At the time, the fortification was already considered a historical treasure with its origins going back to the 1300s. Since then, the castle has been devastated many times by natural and man-made disasters, but conservation work that started in the 1950s has helped restore it to its former glory.

Special attention was given to the reconstruction of the castle keep, which was completed in 2004 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the city's incorporation. Today, Ozu Castle is a shining crown jewel of VMG HOTELS & UNIQUE VENUES.

Tangible History

Castle Keep

Ozu Castle’s wooden keep has been restored to its original state from four hundred years ago using traditional techniques. The work of two master carpenters, the restoration included the use of bamboo nails instead of metal ones and lumber from three-hundred-year-old cypress trees to preserve the spirit of the castle.

Rooms

New lords and ladies of Ozu Castle will spend one night in the tenshu (castle keep). Unlike other parts of Japanese castles, the keep served little to no military function, instead acting as a private residence meant to exhibit power and wealth. We believe that a person needs to experience luxury of this kind alone or with friends and family. That’s why only one group of guests per day is permitted to take up residence in Ozu Castle. Come relive history and try to imagine what the previous masters of the Ozu domain thought about when they laid their heads down in these surroundings. Before turning in for the night on futon (mattresses) atop tatami (straw mats), take a moment to ascend to the top of the keep and enjoy a scenic night view of Ozu.

RESERVATIONS

Restaurants & Dining

The cuisine of Ozu is nurtured by its mountains, rivers, and sea, the bounty of which will be on full display during dinner at Ozu Castle. Based on a historic journal detailing the diet of the lords of the domain, the menu is a close reproduction of what Sadayasu Kato himself would have enjoyed, but the dishes are created using modern-cooking techniques and locally sourced ingredients.

Due to fire concerns, the historic Ozu Castle isn’t equipped with a kitchen. Instead, the dinner is prepared off-site by local residents, contributing to the economic prosperity of the community. For breakfast, guests travel to the nearby Garyu Sanso, a villa that is a national Important Cultural Property and 1-star Michelin restaurant that serves traditional Japanese dishes amid the glory of nature. Overlooking the shores of the Hiji River, the design of the villa adheres to the style of Japanese teahouses, giving it a quiet majesty befitting the name Garyu, which means “reclining dragon.”

Capacity: 48
Opening Hours:
Lunch: 11:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m. (L.O. 2:00 p.m.)
Dinner: 5:30 p.m.–10:00 p.m. (L.O. 8:00 p.m.)

Cultural Experiences

A Royal Welcome

Don armor that bears the crest of the Kato clan and enter the castle in a re-creation of the arrival of Sadayasu Kato at Ozu Castle in 1617 after distinguishing himself in the battle of Osaka.

Our Difference

As a faithful reproduction of a historic structure, Ozu Castle has no on-site bathrooms or toilets, but these are conveniently located in a comfortable lounge on castle grounds. For lords and ladies wanting to survey the lands outside their new residence, we recommend a visit to the Ozu castle town, where you can see townscapes that span centuries of Japanese history. Take a riverboat down the Hiji River, admire samurai residences and merchant houses featured on a popular Japanese TV show, or visit a store specializing in 1950s and 1960s Japanese nostalgia. You’re bound to receive a warm welcome, especially since the reconstruction of Ozu Castle was so important to the city, with a significant amount of the construction costs having been covered by local residents and the lumber for the pillars having been supplied by them as well.

Welcome

Our mission is to present our guests with the gift of time. Time that seems to flow endlessly through the nature and culture of Japan. Time set aside to make lifelong memories with your loved ones. Time that you will one day reflect back on with a smile. We strive to give you these experiences through the art of Japanese hospitality, the distinctiveness of accommodations that tell rich stories from Japan’s great past, and the breaking of language barriers by our English-speaking staff. We hope to see you soon.

Ozu Castle Stay

〒795-0012  888 Ozu,Ozu-shi, Ehime-ken

Number of rooms: 1
Capacity: 2–6 guests, 1 group per day
Check-in: 3:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
Checkout: until noon
Languages: Japanese & English
Tel: +81 (0)120-210-289

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