Shirakawa Castle

The site is much more extensive than I realised at the time (see map photo), so I only saw part of it. The part I saw was well-maintained and interesting. An on-site sign noted that remnant dry moats, earthworks and “flat areas” were in good condition. Excavations have uncovered post-holes, pit stru

History

In the late 12th century Yūki Tomomitsu, head of the Yūki Clan from Shimotsuke Province, was awarded extensive extra lands for his service to Minamoto no Yoritomo, founder of the Kamakura Shogunate. These included the Shirakawa area, and around 1289 his grandson Yūki Yuhiro established a new branch of the clan at the castle site. It's not known for sure when the castle was built, but 1331-7 has been estimated. Later in the 14th century, Komine Castle (later known as Shirakawa Komine) was built as a subsidiary, and over time another branch of the clan developed there. By the late 16th century, the two branches were in conflict, and there were also hostilities with neighbouring clans. The Yūki failed to submit to Toyotomi Hideyoshi before the Battle of Odawara in 1590, and as a result were dispossessed. They became vassals of the Date clan, and Shirakawa Castle was abandoned.

Excavations from 2010 to 2015 uncovered remains and artifacts from the 14th to 16th centuries. This led to the castle's designation as a National Historic Site in 2016.

Field Notes

The site is much more extensive than I realised at the time (see map photo), so I only saw part of it. The part I saw was well-maintained and interesting. An on-site sign noted that remnant dry moats, earthworks and “flat areas” were in good condition. Excavations have uncovered post-holes, pit structures and trench remains, as well as ceramics and earthenware.

I took a taxi from Shirakawa Station, and walked back to the station which took 30-40 minutes. The taxi took me right into the site to the bottom of the steps up to the main bailey. You could also visit via Shin-Shirakawa Station - it's further away but a bus and then walking from there apparently would only take about 40 minutes also. Check bus frequency beforehand.

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Gallery

Steps leading to the main bailey
In the main bailey
In the main bailey
Shrine in the main bailey
Monument in the main bailey
In the main bailey at the top of the steps
Top of a path from the main bailey
On the path leading down from the main bailey
Near the bottom of the path up to the main bailey
Area surrounding the main bailey
Earthworks area below the main bailey
Earthwork structure beside the steps to the main bailey
Road into/out of the site
Road into/out of the site closer to entrance
Entrance to site is marked on the left
Map and photograph from on-site sign

Castle Profile
English Name	Shirakawa Castle
Japanese Name	白川城
Alternate Names	Karame Castle, Yūki-Shirakawa Castle
Founder	Yūki Yuhiro
Year Founded	1331 (estimate)
Castle Type	Mountaintop
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Designations	National Historic Site
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Features	trenches, walls
Visitor Information
Access	Shirakawa Station on the JR Tohoku Line. It's a 3km walk from the station, fairly flat, takes about 40 minutes. There are buses from Shirakawaeki-mae (near the station) but they only get you to Yokomachi and there's a 2.4km walk from there.
Hours	Open 24/7
Time Required	60 minutes or more depending on how much you want to see
Location	Shirakawa, Fukushima Prefecture
Coordinates	37.11728, 140.23432
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Collections	Koka Castles
Admin
Added to Jcastle	2025
Contributor	AnneMcL
Admin Year Visited	Viewer Contributed

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