Added 5 new user contributed castles

Recently I've added another 5 new castles, all contributed by frequent Jcastle user and contributor ART. Thanks ART !

Added 5 New User Contributed Castles

2017/10/21

Recently I've added another 5 new castles, all contributed by frequent Jcastle user and contributor ART. Thanks ART !

Kawaharajō has the remains of unebori and horikiri (trenches), but when I visited they were too overgrown to even approach. The remains of wooden pillars that supported structures have been unearthed here. In the main bailey a symbolic tower has been constructed but this is a faux reconstruction as no such structure ever existed at this site. Kawaharajō is properly called Maruyamajō and was known as such, but due to several other castle sites in the region also being called Maruyamajō, this castle is now known chiefly as Kawaharajō. The castle tower functions as a folk museum and observation platform. From here you can see Tottorijō's great stone ramparts. The tenshukaku (tower) was built in 1994.

Yamagata Castle (Hitachi) / 常陸山方城

A mogi-tenshu (mock donjon) serves ostensibly as an observation platform at the castle site today. Whilst not historically accurate, as such a structure never existed at the site, it is built from wood and contains exhibitions, such as weapons, letters and samurai armour. Traces of earthen embankments and moats also remain at the site. Another mountaintop ruin castle, Takadate Castle, is located directly opposite.

Yokoyama Castle / 横山城

Today Yokoyamajō, a hilltop castle overlooking Zenkōji (temple), is the site of civil buildings, park space and a shrine (called Takeminakatatomiinochihikogamibetsujinja). Some dorui (earthen embankments) remains are to be discerned around the shrine. I thought I'd found some suggestive stonework but upon close inspection this turned out to be unrelated to the castle. Of the modern piled stone work in this area around the shrine, some of it seems to designed to imitate castle ramparts, at least more so than the usual concrete glued frequently seen, which is likely a little nod to the former castle.

Loading map...