Sumoto City

The oldest mock keep in Japan stands here.

Sumoto Castle's mock keep

Photo by 663highland (CC BY 2.5)

01 ／ Sumoto Castle

Climbing stone walls,found in few places.

Sumoto Castle is said to have been built in 1526 by the Ataki, who led the Awaji navy, and was rebuilt in stone by Wakisaka Yasuharu, who entered in 1585. Its nobori-ishigaki (登り石垣), climbing stone walls that link the hilltop to the foot, survive in only a few places in Japan. It became a national historic site in 1999 and joined the Continued Top 100 Castles in 2017. The building on the keep base is a mock keep of 1929.

Said to have been built in 1526
National historic site in 1999
The mock keep of 1929 is the oldest in Japan

02 ／ Red brick

A spinning mill in brickbecame a library.

Four buildings of the former Kanebo Sumoto mill were certified as modern industrial heritage by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on 30 November 2007. They are now the Sumoto city library, the food hall Awaji Gochisokan Miketsukuni, Sumoto Artisan Square and S BRICK. The brick buildings stand together on Sumoto Civic Square.

Certified on 30 November 2007
Four buildings of the former Kanebo mill
Now a library and a food hall, among others

03 ／ Takadaya Kahei

A sailor born at Goshikiset out for Ezo.

Takadaya Kahei, born in the Goshiki area, built the ship Shinetsu-maru (辰悦丸) and went north to Ezo, where he began shipping in earnest. The city writes that this was the forerunner of the northern fisheries. On the hill where he is buried, looking out over the Harima Sea, Wellness Park Goshiki was opened in his honour.

His ship was the Shinetsu-maru
Held to be the forerunner of the northern fisheries
Wellness Park Goshiki honours him

Living here

Kobe in 80 minutes by highway bus.

about 40,000 people
2 hours to a city centre

Awaji Island has no railway, and the gateway is Sumoto Bus Center. Highway buses arrive 80 minutes from Kobe, 120 minutes from Osaka Station and Hankyu Sanbangai, and 60 minutes from Kosoku-Maiko. The city covers 182.38 square kilometres, about 30.6 per cent of Awaji Island. It merged with the town of Goshiki in 2006 and keeps a branch office there.

People living here: 41,236people
Area: 182.38km²
Households: 17,792households
Rent (average for rentals): 46,759yen
Healthcare: 3 hospitals ／ 51 clinics

Area and habitable land at the same scalee-Stat B1101 / B1103

Population from 2010 onward (municipal boundary changed).2006-02-11 に新設合併（五色町）。2010年調査から市域が変わっている。

Children waiting for childcare: —11 nurseries and similar
Home purchase subsidy: —
Average annual temperature: —

These 3 items are waiting on a nationwide data source. We do not fill them with estimates.

ACCESS

Where you can go from here.

Sumoto City in Japan34.343°N 134.896°E

to OsakaHighway bus120min
to KobeHighway bus80min

Travel times follow 市公式（洲本市文化体育館「施設へのアクセス」2024年7月17日更新）に載る値 (checked 2026-09-23). They vary by time of day.

Shape

Borders 2 municipalities.

Territory of Sumoto City

Boundaries: National Land Numerical Information (N03)

North to south

20.8km

南あわじ市, 淡路市

Sumoto City isthis kind of town.

01A castle of stone walls, with climbing walls found in few places and a mock keep of 1929
02Four red brick buildings of the former Kanebo mill are now a library and more
03Takadaya Kahei of Goshiki sailed the Shinetsu-maru north and opened the Ezo trade

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Sumoto City official site ↗Wikipedia ↗