Iwadono Castle

Access, from either Otsuki or Sarubashi (longer) station on the Chuo line. (The thing to do would be to do a hike from Otsuki via Iwadonoyama down to the old bridge, which i didn`t, but it looks fantastic). About 10 - 15 minutes to base of mountain. Free information centre. Very well kept trails.

History

634 metres high, Iwadono Castle sits at the gateway to the country of Kai. It was also used for smoke-signalling and was a vital part of the effective Takeda communications network. It was considered very strong because of its commanding views and massive unscalable bare rock face with only a few entry points.

In 1582, Takeda Katsuyori, escaping from Nobunaga`s forces, sought refuge at this castle but was denied entry by Oyamada, essentially making Katsuyori`s case hopeless. Oyamada was later executed by the Oda, ostensibly for betraying his lord and being un-samurai-like. Later taken over by the Tokugawa, this time to protect Edo/Musashi province.

Field Notes

Access, from either Otsuki or Sarubashi (longer) station on the Chuo line. (The thing to do would be to do a hike from Otsuki via Iwadonoyama down to the old bridge, which i didn`t, but it looks fantastic). About 10 - 15 minutes to base of mountain. Free information centre. Very well kept trails. Sigposting in japanese only but English hiking maps available. all text and photos by Kris

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Gallery

Castle Profile
English Name	Iwadono Castle
Japanese Name	岩殿城
Alternate Names	Iwadonoyama-jo
Founder	Oyamada Nobuari
Year Founded	1530
Castle Type	Mountaintop
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Designations	Top 100 Mountaintop Castles, Prefectural Historic Site
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Features
Visitor Information
Access	Otsuki Sta (JR Chuo Line, Fujikyuko); 15 min walk to the trail head, 45 more mins to the top
Hours
Time Required
Location	Otsuki, Yamanashi Prefecture
Coordinates	35.62159, 138.9499
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2011
Admin Year Visited	Viewer Contributed
Admin Visits	Viewer Donated

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