Kawagoe Castle
The only real remnants of the castle are the lord's palace, but it is well worth the trip because there are very few extant palaces. You can also spend the day exploring other historical sites in Kawagoe.
History
Kawagoe Castle was founded in 1457 by Ota Doshin and his son Dokan under the order of Uesugi Mochitomo. In 1546 it was taken over by the Hojo until it fell again to Hideyoshi as part of his attack on Odawara and the Hojo.
When the Tokugawa established their base of power at Edo (Tokyo), Kawagoe Castle functioned as an important defensive position for Edo. The city of Kawagoe likewise prospered as an important logistical hub for the transportation of food and other goods to and from Tokyo. This focus on logistics and trade also led to the abundance of storehouse style buildings you can still see today. In this old part of town you can also get a feeling for an Edo Period castle town
Field Notes
The only real remnants of the castle are the lord's palace, but it is well worth the trip because there are very few extant palaces. You can also spend the day exploring other historical sites in Kawagoe.
Gallery
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Kawagoe Castle |
| Japanese Name | 川越城 |
| Founder | Ota Doshin |
| Year Founded | 1457 |
| Castle Type | Flatland |
| Castle Condition | No main keep but other buildings |
| Designations | Top 100 Castles, Prefectural Historic Site |
| Historical Period | Edo Period |
| Features | palace, castle town |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Kawagoe Sta, Tobu Tojo Line, 20 min by tourist bus |
| Hours | 100 yen admission. Closed Mondays except National Holidays after which it is closed on Tuesday. Closed on the 4th Friday of each month except National Holidays. Closed Dec 28 - Jan 4. |
| Time Required | 60 minutes |
| URL | Castle Website |
| Location | Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 35.92451, 139.49143 |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2006 |
| Contributor | Eric |
| Admin Year Visited | 2006, 2012 |
| Admin Visits | March 25, 2006; Aug 4, 2012 |
