Suwahara Castle

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This castle is a favorite among castle fans and I can see why. Nearly all the castle grounds are well preserved. There are many deep moats and you can easily imagine what this kind of Sengoku Period mountaintop castle was like. Part of the old Tokaido Road runs near the castle so take a walk along t

Suwahara10.jpg

History

Suwahara Castle was founded by Takeda Katsuyori in 1573 along with nearby Koyama Castle to further his campaigns against Tokugawa in the West. In 1575, Tokugawa used the momentum from his win against the Takeda at Nagashino to conquer Suwahara Castle too. Suwahara Castle was renamed Makino Castle and used as the Tokugawa's base of operations against the Takeda in this area including the battle for Takatenjin Castle in 1581. After Tokugawa moved to the Kanto area (Tokyo), Suwahara Castle was no longer needed and was abandoned in 1590. Suwahara Castle is considered a great example of Takeda castle construction. It has steep natural cliffs on one side that open up onto a flat plain that is protected by several moats and maru umadashi style entrances.


Field Notes

This castle is a favorite among castle fans and I can see why. Nearly all the castle grounds are well preserved. There are many deep moats and you can easily imagine what this kind of Sengoku Period mountaintop castle was like. Part of the old Tokaido Road runs near the castle so take a walk along the old stone paved road and around the fields of tea bushes. I suggest you stop by the tourist information center at Kanaya Station before you go out. They have maps of several trails through the area that you can enjoy.


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Gallery
  • Round Umadashi Entrance
  • no.4 moat
  • no.9 moat
  • no.12 moat
  • no.12 moat
  • no.4 moat
  • Earthen bridge between the #4 and #2 moats.
  • Round Umadashi Entrance
  • Ninomaru
  • Earthen bridge and moat
  • Honmaru bailey
  • tenshu foundation
  • no.6 moat
  • Sannomaru bailey
  • no.4 moat
  • Dry Moat
  • Stone paved Tokaido Road
  • map
  • Yakuimon Gate, reconstructed 2016


Castle Profile
English Name Suwahara Castle
Japanese Name 諏訪原城
Alternate Names Makino-jo
Founder Takeda Katsuyori
Year Founded 1573
Castle Type Mountaintop
Castle Condition No main keep but other buildings
Designations Next 100 Castles, National Historic Site
Historical Period Pre Edo Period
Artifacts Yakuimon (reconstructed in 2016)
Features gates, trenches
Visitor Information
Access Kanaya Sta. (Tokaido Line); 20 min walk
Hours
Time Required
Location Kikugawa, Shizuoka Prefecture
Coordinates 34.81765, 138.12014
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Admin
Added to Jcastle 2010
Contributor Eric
Admin Year Visited 2010
Admin Visits October 11, 2010


3.20
(5 votes)
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