Sunpu Castle Park — Tokugawa Ieyasu's Retirement Residence

Sunpu Castle (駿府城) was Tokugawa Ieyasu's retirement residence after he passed the shogunate to his son in 1605. Ieyasu governed Japan from Sunpu (former name for Shizuoka) until his death in 1616, making the castle the de facto political center of the nation during this period. The original castle was demolished during the Meiji era, but the massive stone walls, moats, and castle park remain. Two turrets — Tatsumi (southeast) and Hitsujisaru (southwest) — have been reconstructed based on Edo-period plans.

The castle park is now a public green space popular for cherry blossoms (April) and autumn leaves (November), with wide lawns, walking paths, and a Japanese garden. The reconstructed turrets house small museums displaying Edo-period artifacts, castle construction techniques, and Tokugawa Ieyasu's biography. Excavation work continues as archaeologists uncover foundations of the original keep, which was one of the largest castle structures ever built in Japan.