English Version
Tsuneyama Castle Ruins in Tamano, Okayama Prefecture, is often described in local ghost stories as a haunted castle site. Visitors have reportedly seen the spirit of a woman, as well as the ghost of an armored samurai. Some people also claim that when they take photos here, strange images or orb-like lights appear in the pictures.
The atmosphere around the ruins is said to feel unusually heavy, and at night the sense of pressure is rumored to be especially intense.
Tsuneyama Castle was built by Ueno Takanori. According to the history associated with the site, the Ueno forces were destroyed after a surprise attack by the Mori army. Inside the castle, members of the Ueno clan and Takanori’s wife, Tsuru-hime, are said to have taken their own lives.
After that, the castle came to be feared as a haunted place, with stories claiming that strange phenomena would affect those who approached it.
Along the route up to the mountaintop where the castle ruins stand, there are Jizo statues and memorial monuments. Some say these were placed there to hold back the many supernatural incidents rumored to occur at the site—but whether they truly do so is left to the imagination.
If you visit, remember that this is a historical ruin and memorial area. Go during daylight, stay on established paths, respect any signs or restricted areas, and treat the statues and monuments with care.
Japanese Language
女性の霊や鎧を着た武士の霊がよく目撃されているという。写真を撮ると心霊写真やオーブが写るとのこと。周囲は空気が異様に重く、夜の重圧感はかなりのものがあるという。常山城は上野隆徳が築いた城。毛利軍の奇襲により上野軍は滅亡した。城内で上野氏と、その妻である鶴姫が自害した。それからはこの城に近づく者を怪奇現象が襲うこととなり、この城は心霊城として恐れられた。常山城がある山頂までの道中にはお地蔵様や慰霊碑が立ち並んでいる。これは、この場所で起こる数多くの心霊現象を防ぐためとされているが果たして。
岡山県玉野市
