Kururi Castle

The castle itself is tucked away atop a mountain in the deep forests of Chiba Pref. Unlike some castle reconstructions, well placed signs identify each part of the castle showing the city's care for preservation. A small but enjoyable castle visit.

History

The castle was originally established by Mariya Takeda, but was taken over by Satomi Yoshitaka and became Satomi's home base and main fortification in his opposition to the Odawara based Hojo. After several unsuccessful attempts to attack Kururi Castle, it was eventually taken over by the Hojo (1564) but was then recaptured by Satomi in 1567.

After the coming of the Tokugawa, the castle was controlled successively by the Osuga, Tsuchiya, and Kuroda until it was eventually destroyed in 1872 after the Meiji Restoration.

The castle's nickname, U-jo (rain castle), comes from the story that it rained at least once every three days during it construction for a total of 21 times.

Field Notes

The castle itself is tucked away atop a mountain in the deep forests of Chiba Pref. Unlike some castle reconstructions, well placed signs identify each part of the castle showing the city's care for preservation. A small but enjoyable castle visit.

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Gallery

you have to love their illustrations
Elevation 3 baileys
Kururi shopping area sign
Shinshoji Temple
Takeda family crest

Castle Profile
English Name	Kururi Castle
Japanese Name	久留里城
Alternate Names	U-jo
Founder	Mariya Takeda
Year Founded	1540
Castle Type	Mountaintop
Castle Condition	Reconstructed main keep
Designations	Top 100 Mountaintop Castles
Historical Period	Edo Period
Year Reconstructed	1977 (concrete)
Features
Visitor Information
Access	Kururi Tetsudo, Kururi Station; approx. 20 minute walk to the grounds and 10 minutes to the top
Hours
Time Required
URL	Castle Website
Location	Kimitsu City, Chiba Prefecture
Coordinates	35.28755, 140.08993
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Admin
Added to Jcastle
Admin Year Visited	2005
Admin Visits	May 28, 2005

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