Igawa Castle

In suburban Matsumoto there is a plot of agricultural land surrounded by residential sprawl. This patch of greenery represents the ruins of Igawa Castle, a nationally designated historic site. Of the remains of the castle there are few. In addition to the remains of a hori (trench) there is a signif

History

Igawajō was essentially the fortified residence of the Ogasawara Clan built in 1334 (as a yakata) upon the appointment of Ogasawara Sadamune as Governor of Shinano Province. In 1446 the Ogasawara relocated to an easier-to-defend location 4km away at Hayashi Castle. Igawajō's designation as a castle rather than as merely a fortified manor house is likely due to its continued use as a fort throughout the Sengoku Period. Igawa is an area noted for having abundant water supply.

Field Notes

In suburban Matsumoto there is a plot of agricultural land surrounded by residential sprawl. This patch of greenery represents the ruins of Igawa Castle, a nationally designated historic site. Of the remains of the castle there are few. In addition to the remains of a hori (trench) there is a significant artificial mound, thought to have perhaps been the foundation of a castle tower (id est, a yaguradai). In this area many archaelogical investigations have been carried out, which is maybe why it hasn't been developed over yet.

Gallery

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Castle Profile
English Name	Igawa Castle
Japanese Name	井川城
Founder	Ogasawara Clan
Year Founded	1334
Castle Type	Fortified Manor
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Designations	National Historic Site
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Artifacts	Yaguradai, Hori, Yaguradai
Features	trenches
Visitor Information
Access	Nishi-Matsumoto Station on the Kamikouchi Line; walk 10 minutes
Hours	24/7 free
Time Required	30 minutes
Location	Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture
Coordinates	36.22232, 137.9645
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2020
Contributor	ART
Admin Year Visited	Viewer Contributed

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