The Wind Castle in southern Toyama is perched on a short mountain covering the valley entrance to the city. From this vantage point, you could notice anyone coming down the mountain into the city. Likewise from the other direction, you have a full view of Toyama and nearly all its neighborhoods shielded by the surrounding mountains.
I first visited the Wind Castle 2 years ago never even knowing it had been since the 80s or 90s. Although, in reality, it's not really all that easy to see unless you know what you're looking for. The castle tower isn't really that tall and its aluminum shimmer blends into the sky and the trees.
It's also not all that convenient to get to from Hwy 41 either. You either go further north than is necessary, or you take a narrow windy road straight to it. Once you arrive in Sakurayama Forest Park, it's another 450 steps up the castle trail to the peak.
It's a pretty landmark, but it seems like it has been closed for good. Even when visiting 2 years ago, a lot of the paint was chipping away, and molding holding the thick bottled glass tiles was peeling. Now, several of the glass tiles have cracked, broke open, or broke free of their mold. The metal deck also bends under the weight of my steps. It doesn't really feel safe.
I'm not really sure where this extra damage came from. There were some tiles missing before, but everything still seemed safe. Perhaps the New Years earthquake of 2024 knocked a lot more of this stuff loose. There's not a lot of money to go around these days, so the city probably thought it was easier to shutter the attraction, rather than pour money into the necessary renovations.
Throughout the year, Toyama would illuminate the castle in the evening, and the controls for the illumination were inside the room on the observation deck. The leading doors were locked, but the door on the farther side had been pulled open. The wooden edge of the door has disintergrated, pulling itself away from the hinges. Another door had already been boarded shut, probably having suffered the same fate.
Inside was a phone, speaker amplifier, and a bunch of dials and do-dads. There were also instructions for the illumination, but I didn't look through them much.
Still, the Wind Castle's best attraction is the view.
There's the valley to the south, the city to the north, and the Tateyama mountains to the east.
I had always seen these beautiful photos of the city with towering mountains in the background, but I've never been able to see them myself with such clarity. The weather always seems to change a bit in the mountains obscuring them from view. I had a rare opportunity to take some photos.
This was also true on my way to the Wind Castle coming from the city.
I am curious about the future plans for the Wind Castle. No one is putting money into any public attractions these days, especially in rural areas. I would imagine most of that money is going into infrastrcture, repairing roads and making new tunnels. I doubt it'll ever be repaired. Also, removing it might be costly, too.
We shall see.
