Omaruyama Park - Sakura

Most of the facilities are almost stationary, but the rich nature and scenery are very pleasant. There are few people, and hiking with a lunch box is recommended. You can also drive up to the back side, so even people with disabilities can overlook the town of Kitsuregawa. The shuttle elevator and tower are not moving ...

After entering the one-day hot spring at a nearby hotel, I came here. The tower is not used, but the view is nice because it is on a hill.

You can go by car, or you can walk up the road. It takes about 15 minutes to walk. You can go by chari, but it is a steep slope. The scenery is nice ?

The slope feels like a smaller mountain than a small hill, but the view is wonderful. It is connected from the observatory, but the route from below is also from Otemon and Municipal Motoyu Onsen. It may be easier from Otemon.

It's a fairly large park ❗️ It seems that it was an old mountain castle ❗️ The view from above is wonderful. However, it was a pity that the sky tower was closed and I couldn't see the view from the tower. ️ It's enough for a walk ❗ Cherry blossoms in spring and autumn leaves are good ❗️

The ruins of the castle after the abandonment of Kitsuregawa Castle were maintained as Omaruyama Park by Kitsuregawa Town (at that time), and became a tourist base as a symbol of the Kitsuregawa district. The remains of the castle included the first moat, the second moat, the third moat, the empty moat of the fourth moat, and the earthworks. There are 300 cherry blossom trees, field athletics, and literary roads on the grounds and slopes of the park, and it was a famous cherry blossom viewing spot in spring. At the top of the mountain is the Kitsuregawa Sky Tower, which is 49.5 meters high, and you can see the scenery of the mountains in the northern part of Tochigi prefecture. The tower is also a symbol of the park, and depending on the weather conditions, it was possible to see Mt. Fuji. The area around the ruins of the castle is Kitsuregawa Onsen, and there was a hot spring facility "Elderly Welfare Center Kitsuregawa Castle" on the summit of Omaruyama. As a means of access from the city to the summit, a large inclined elevator "shuttle elevator" with a length of 168.5 meters, which is the first in Japan, was installed. On March 11, 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake caused a large-scale crack of 700 meters in the site, and various facilities in the park were damaged, so an evacuation advisory was issued to the surrounding area and went to Omaruyama Park. No entry was allowed. While the restoration is expected to be completed in March 2013, two years later, on September 22, 2011, six months after the earthquake, the soil base was wide 70 due to the wind and rain caused by Typhoon No. 15 in 2011. A landslide of about 140 meters in length occurred, causing damage involving private houses. Under these circumstances, the abolition of the park itself became a point of debate. Restoration work on the land was completed in March 2013, but the damage is severe, and facilities such as the Sky Tower, which require a large amount of expenses for restoration, are not expected to be reopened.