3 new castles and 2 yakata in Saitama

This update adds 5 new castles to Saitama Prefecture. It's getting more and more difficult to put together a day trip around Tokyo that includes multiple castles. this day trip picks up some castles that I skipped on other trips to Saitama in prioritizing other more famous or easier to reach si

3 new castles and 2 yakata in Saitama

2020/08/21

This update adds 5 new castles to Saitama Prefecture. It's getting more and more difficult to put together a day trip around Tokyo that includes multiple castles. this day trip picks up some castles that I skipped on other trips to Saitama in prioritizing other more famous or easier to reach sites.

One common thread among all these castles is that their early origins are unknown or based in legends. The only reliable records start to appear in the late Sengoku Period or in relation to the Siege of Odawara. Some of the published "local histories" (not just Saitama but all over the country) that were largely written in the late Edo Period or later attempt to patch together local legends, historical events, famous people and sometimes they put more importance on sites or events than they actually warrant without real historical scholarship. Any of these local histories written in this time period should be taken with a grain of salt and cross check with other sources where possible. Unfortunately, many signs at castle sites were written many years ago and/or simply rely on these local histories that they had at hand without being updated with more modern research. Where possible I rely more on books and articles written in the past 30 years over signs at castles so occassionally there are differences.

Yamada Castle / 山田城

Hidden away inside the Shinrin Koen (aka Musashi Kyuryo National Park), is this little gem of a castle. The castle ruins are very well preserved. It is basically a single bailey fortification with a deep trench around the outside. The inside also has some more earthen embankments that split the interior into 3 or 4 sections, one of which has an additional trench and may have been living quarters. The castle is near the park entrance and well signposted, unlike Yamazaki Castle (Saitama) which is also in the same park. It is not difficult to get to, is well preserved, has good signage and should be a must see Saitama castle ruin.

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The part "|Yamazaki Castle (Saitama)|Takasaka Yakata|Odori Castle||Minamoto no Tsunemoto Yakata" of the query was not understood.</br>Results might not be as expected.