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Mukade Castle + (The castle is not well signposted, nor wer … The castle is not well signposted, nor were there any information signage. I couldn't find the entrance, despite having looked at maps on-line beforehand, so I parked on the roadway running across its northern edge. It is an easy climb, and for its size, a very well planned castle.Profile by Chris Glenn (edited by ART).. Profile by Chris Glenn (edited by ART).)
Kasumi Castle + (The castle is on the end of a ridge overlo … The castle is on the end of a ridge overlooking the plain where the Battles of Kawanakajima took place. It is a steep but short 10 minute climb to the top and well worth the visit. You don't find this extensive mountaintop stonework in such an accessible location elsewhere. in such an accessible location elsewhere.)
Mikumo Castle (Koka) + (The castle is quite far from the station a … The castle is quite far from the station and a long road up the mountain, but with a car you can get to one of two parking lots very close to the castle entrance. Each of the baileys around the castle seem to be designed to provide great views of a different angle of the plain, Yasu River and Tokaido Highway.the plain, Yasu River and Tokaido Highway.)
Yuhigaoka Castle + (The castle is relatively small but covers … The castle is relatively small but covers the hilltop. The main bailey area has a dorui embankment around it and the peak likely had a watchtower (yagura) itself. Just below this point is also a stone kofun in quite good shape. One source says it was used for storage when the site was a castle. I don't see that supported anywhere else but it seems to make sense. We found a good looking tatebori trench. Supposedly there are many more but it was hard to identify them through the weeds, maybe they would be more visible in the winter.There are a few different routes into the castle. The most obvious is to find the 夕日ヶ丘登山口 signs on the North or South side of Mukaiyama (向山). There is a fence and gate that you need to open and pass through, just make sure to close it on your way back to help keep animals out. The hiking course and hilltop seem to have been developed as a part of some Lake Biwa area nature development project but it has been sadly neglected since. The lookout point (photo above!) is too heavily overgrown to see anything and the play areas for kids are dangerously dilapidated.reas for kids are dangerously dilapidated.)
Isobe Castle + (The castle is remarkably well preserved. … The castle is remarkably well preserved. Given the location on a fairly small mountain I wouldn't have been surprised if it had been developed over for some nice housing with a view or other public facility. The main approach to the honmaru is well maintained with signs pointing out the main features, which are mostly small baileys and trenches. What's really interesting about this site is if you try to walk those trenches all around the castle. You can see their size and the layout of the castle much better that way.layout of the castle much better that way.)
Kubota Castle + (The castle is well known for being mainly … The castle is well known for being mainly built from large earthen embankments. There is very little stonework and that os mainly to fortify some foundations. The large main keep looking building is a museum and is not an accurate representation of an Edo Period yagura. The Omotemon Gate however was faithfully reconstructed in 2001. The Omonogashira Gobansho (guard house) is the only remaining original structure on the site. The castle was much bigger and more interesting that I expected. The earthen embankments around each Bailey are in interesting feature and I tried to highlight them in some of the photos here.highlight them in some of the photos here.)
Hasedo Castle + (The castle is well maintained with many si … The castle is well maintained with many signs including a recommended route through the castle. The recommended route was actually quite good and takes you to parts of the castle with nice views that you might typically miss. It is interesting how Hasedo Castle and [[Narisawa Castle]] flank the road to Yonezawa from Yamagata. It gives you an indication of the tensions between the two regions. Even though Hasedo Castle isn't a very big castle it is well defended and nearly covers the small mountain providing good lines of sight to many different directions.nes of sight to many different directions.)
Shuuchi Castle + (The castle itself is fairly compact for a … The castle itself is fairly compact for a mountain castle following along one ridge line. The West side also had an extended fortification atop the smaller mountain next to it. This West side, from which I hiked, is a good steep climb, but the trail up from the Kototaki Waterfall and Gyokuunji Temple sounds comparatively easier. It's just a little farther and longer. It's also interesting to note that the big stone walls face this East side as well, possible assuming a major attack would come from that side up the easier climb and away from the extended fort.=====Videos=====START_WIDGET"'-c6f4c35f68d3a3f7END_WIDGETSTART_WIDGET"'-c6f4c35f68d3a3f7END_WIDGET)
Matsushiro Castle + (The castle itself is probably 3 stars. It' … The castle itself is probably 3 stars. It's worth visiting for the well preserved stone walls and reconstructed gates. Including the castle town and all the samurai homes I would rate this a 5 star destination. The Yokota Residence is one of the best preserved samurai homes in Japan. The Higuchi and Maejima residences also preserve the entire layout of the samurai home including gates, storehouses and gardens. It is rare enough to have one such place much less to have several in one town. The Sanada Palace and grounds likewise are a treasure with several buildings also preserved. You could easily spend the whole day in Matsushiro. I recommend renting a bicycle and tour around to not only the samurai homes but the Chokokuji Temple, Bell Tower, school and merchant homes too. If you rent an electric bicycle or took the bus you could probably visit the Kawanakajima Battlefield as well but I doubt you'd have time for everything in Matsushiro too. Including the battlefield I spent a full day here and had to rush the museum and Sanada Palace before they closed and still did not see some of the town that I would have liked to even on my own bicycle. Matsushiro is also somewhat remote with few high buildings or significant urbanization to help it preserve the rustic Edo Period atmosphere.preserve the rustic Edo Period atmosphere.)
Ueno Castle (Kai) + (The castle of Takeda Shingen's younger bro … The castle of Takeda Shingen's younger brother, Nobutatsu? Let's check it out. No actual ruins remain of this site, which historically was more of a fortified residence than a castle - especially not the kind of castle with the grand tower which we see today. Even though the site is historically important, and a locally designated historical site, the structures we see today are all faux reconstructions, or 'mogies', as I call them affectionately. The site, now a hitory park, is a whole complex of mogies, in fact. The epicentre of the historical fortress may be considered the place where a small shrine now stands (蹴裂神社). There is a large castle tower adjacent which now takes up the mantle of Kai-Uenojō. This is a latter day mogi, constructed in 1994. It is modelled after Nagahamajō's mogi tenshu, itself a faux reconstruction, built in 1983. In front of the tower is a play area. Here there is a childrens' play fort. It struck me that this play thingy looks more historically attune to what the actual fortress would've looked like! It's less of a mogi than the keep, haha. The donjon is attached to an annex of structures which all give off strong mogi vibes. There is another building next door which is also very mogi. Also there is a storehouse in the vague shape of a castle turret. This is a prime mogi site! Less mogi but still traditionally inspired is the kabuki museum next to the park. I went here since it's on the same ticket as the castle tower. I was the only guest each time. The town's kabuki heritage owes to it being the birthplace of Ichikawa Danjurō, a famous kabuki performer. An interesting tidbit is that Danjurō's great-grandfather, Horikoshi Jūrō, was a vassal of Ichijō Nobutatsu, the founder of the castle! This is my 500th castle contribution to jcastle.info!500th castle contribution to jcastle.info!)
Kuroi Castle + (The castle offers a stunning 360° scenic v … The castle offers a stunning 360° scenic view of the surrounding area and with a little zoom you can easily see the mountaintop stone walls from far away. It must have been an impressive site! There are a couple ways to get here. From Osaka through Sasayama and then Fukuchiyama Line to Kuroi, or from Kyoto to Fukuchiyama and and then Fukuchiyama Line to Kuroi. Both routes offer other famous castles that could be combined for a day trip. This was a great mountain castle to visit. The views of the surrounding plains are absolutely stunning and you can really understand why a castle was built here. The mini castle site used by Akechi Mitsuhide as his encampment for his attacks on Kuroi Castle looks like a child's fort in comparison. It is not particularly huge nor sprawling across the mountain like many mountaintop castles but given the size and shape of the mountain it didn't really need to be! It is mostly isolated with great views and lines of fire. There are no easy to access ridges that would allow for a surprise attack. Anyone who tried to attack could be easily seen. From the bottom, the climb probably looks harder than it really is. There are two trails. The "easy way" is the main trail and is obvious from the signs and parking area below. It starts from the left of the parking area and takes a somewhat more indirect winding path to the top. The "harder" and supposedly faster route starts from the right side of the parking area and goes much more directly to the top. I planned to go up the easy route and down the harder one but from the top I couldn't find the way back down via the harder route. Once at the bottom I turned around and took the harder route maybe 1/3 of the way back up to catch some terraced baileys that I did not want to miss. The red gate is picturesque but unfortunately has nothing to do with the castle. It was moved here when the temple it was located at was abandoned. It is obviously a temple gate with spots on either side for Nio type statues. There is however a gate from the castle that now serves as the Somon Gate to the Kozenji Temple. This temple itself is also a very interesting site. It was the site of the lord's residence at the foot of the mountain. The moat and high stone walls are definitely a must see part of this castle site.I visited on Dec. 21, my first day of winter vacation. With snowfalls in the forecast, I jumped at the last likely opportunity for the year to visit this site that was high on my to-do list. I had planned to visit some other spots in the area too but it was so windy and so cold that just hiking up and back drained all my energy. It was absolutely worth the trip though. If you go in the wintery season though maybe you should be prepared for more wind and colder temperatures than you might expect.colder temperatures than you might expect.)
Chigasaki Castle + (The castle park is kept up very well, with … The castle park is kept up very well, with many signs (all Japanese unfortunately) explaining structures, history and more. It's great to see towns not only reconstructing main keeps and other buildings but taking the time to properly survey older ruins and establish parks like this.older ruins and establish parks like this.)
Shakujii Castle + (The castle remains are fenced off and only open around Culture Day each year.)
Ashikaga Masauji Yakata + (The castle retains 2 sections of the moat … The castle retains 2 sections of the moat around the temple today but originally it was much larger with two large baileys, both surrounded by water moats. The Kantoin temple houses the grave of Masauji and a painting of him which is a Prefectural Historic Artifact. I don't know if the temple is ever open to the public but it definitely was not this day. I've seen some reports that if you ask kindly to be allowed in to pray for the Ashikaga the priest will let you in and will allow pics of the grave, but that's not really my thing and I didn't see anyone around anyway.ing and I didn't see anyone around anyway.)
Jinbagahara Castle + (The castle ruin at the centre of Japan? No … The castle ruin at the centre of Japan? Now there's a gimmick. Firstly I should say that the ruins amount to essentially a curiously flattened, wide space along the ridge, perhaps with some terracing, and, per the castle's name, this is said to have been the spot of an encampment (or, 'jinba') of Kiso Yoshinaka, the famous general of the late Heian period. It seems the site is also referred to as a fort (toride). There is an old marker which bore the site's name, but now it is illegible and just a square log. I reverently pulled it out of the grass like I was retrieving a fallen warrior, and set the thing up to lean against a tree in what was the fort's main bailey. A tear shed for lost castle markers on lonely mountains... I went along the ridge in some places but found nothing definite -- maybe some trench remains; if one goes all the way down the ridge one comes to Ōjō, the centre of a complex of fortification sites overlooking Tatsuno. Jinbaǵaharajō supposedly predates them, but at the same time I think there is a fair chance this area was used during the Sengoku period as a sort of hidden redoubt of Ōjō. The ridge shields the site and it could be an effective hiding place to muster troops in secret, but it's quite inaccessible. If one visits this outré plateau then one is between two points which are said to be the 'centre of Japan'. There are many centres of Japan, it must be said, and the exact position will depend on the mode of measurement and how one defines the centre. We went to the point along the ridge called 'Nihon no Chūshin' where there is a small stone monument. There's not much to do but to take a picture of and with the thing. There is also no view to write home about and the area is surrounded by tall trees. Such centre points are also called 'heso (臍)', which means 'navel'. Naruheso! I thought it might be that this heso is the furthest one can be in Japan from the sea and ocean, but that might be in Hokkaidō. A nearby point is also called 'Japan's Zero-Point' and refers to the bisection of latitude and longitude at the zero minutes mark. As I say, determining a geographic centre depends on method, and Tatsuno Municipality obviously just chose the one which best suited it, and now promotes the spot as a low maintenance tourist or hiking destination. The road to the castle and centre of Japan is best taken from the Tatsuno side (south), rather than the dirt and gravel track which runs along the mountain chain to the Shidareguri Forest Park in the north. There is another heso just north of the Shidareguri camping ground called 'Nihondo no Mannaka' . This one is easier to get to and a monument has been there erected by Shiojiri Municipality.en there erected by Shiojiri Municipality.)
Nakaara Castle + (The castle ruins are about a 20 minute hik … The castle ruins are about a 20 minute hike from the last ruins of Tsuwano Castle. There are supposed to be some vertical trenches one after another in the style known as ''unejo tatebori'' (see the map below) but they were impossible to discern among the trees and weeds. There are a couple photos of what looks to be vertical trenches but there was not enough in one location to see the ''unejo tatebori'' pattern. As mentioned on the [[Tsuwano Castle]] profile, there are many bears in the area and you should take care. In fact, when I was coming down the trail into the Washihara Hachimangu Shrine, a woman was yelling at me from a distance. When I approached her she let me know that there was a bear on the same trail just a few minutes earlier eating persimmons (''kaki''). She also kindly suggested I stay around the main tourist areas and offered me a ride back to the center of Tsuwano, which I politely declined. I appreciated the thought, but ...clined. I appreciated the thought, but ...)
Akatsuka Castle + (The castle ruins are on a hilltop in the A … The castle ruins are on a hilltop in the Akatsuka Municipal Park. There are three main baileys that can be seen today. There are also some slight trenches and cliff sides you can barely make out in some areas. The website listed is not technically for the castle but is for the Itabashi Historical Museum on the same site. If you are going to visit the castle, you might as well visit when the museum is open. The museum is nice and has some information about the castle but the old farmhouse, firehose wagon and other Edo Period artifacts are worth viewing.er Edo Period artifacts are worth viewing.)
Katsunumashi Yakata + (The castle ruins were discovered in 1973 w … The castle ruins were discovered in 1973 when building the neighboring Prefectural Wine Center. Don't miss the ruins of the vassal's residence around the back side of the castle.While the castle is called a yakata (palace or residence) the large double embankment, deep moat and turrets show that it was as fortified as any castle at the time.Katsunuma is very famous for grapes and wine. I went in early October towards the end of grape season and got the best grapes I've ever had from a simple roadside stand. You can get there by regular non-express train from Shinjuku in about 2 hours.ress train from Shinjuku in about 2 hours.)
Ogurayama Castle + (The castle site is in Ogura Park, which is … The castle site is in Ogura Park, which is a 15 minute walk from Minoshi Station.　From afar, it looks like a nice reconstructed castle however, when you visit, you'll find the actual structure is an open-air lookout tower that just has a mock-castle roof. There is a nice view, but the expectations that it sets from a distance make it quite a disappointment. There are also some stone walls and earthworks from the original castle.Update to profile and gallery by [[User:ART|ART]] (2020): Ogurayamajō is a hirayamajiro (hilltop castle) ruin in Mino Municipality. The site features ishigaki (stone-piled ramparts) and mock castle structures, including walls and the "corner yagura", which is actually a stage with a castle-shaped husk around it. From afar it seems as though there may be another castle structure at the top of the hill, but this is in fact an observation platform with a vaguely castle-shaped rooftop, but is otherwise not remotely castle-like, which is a disappointment since a map of the park depicts it as a castle turret! Some might call this deception... The towers are pretty awful and have very strong mogi (fake) vibes. The ishigaki is in a dubious state but is probably worth visiting for those castle enthusiasts who want to visit every castle with significant ishigaki remaining. The ishigaki demarcates terracing at the base of the mountain. The first two terraces' ishigaki ramparts are dubiously recreated or restored with concrete, but the ishigaki on the third, where the mock turret sits, looks older. There's very little on the mountain itself, apart from some bailey spaces, as the mountain redoubt was used very little, and most of the site's functions were confined to the lower terraces throughout the Edo period. The hillside is covered in strange little huts which were once food vendors and bars, presumably used during the warmer months and during cherry blossom season, but it seems like they may have all been abandoned for years. These shacks have been in place since at least the 1930s, surprisingly, and I like the idea of the townsfolk spending cool nights and spring days here on the hillside strewn with lanterns and lush with greenery. Ogurayamajō's most redeeming feature is that the surrounding town, which could be described as the jōkamachi (castle town) of the castle, has a preserved distict of Edo Period townhouses, the Udatsu no agaru machinami, including the Imai Redisence, which is open to the public to tour.Update: added relocated bell to gallery (2024): At the ruins of Ogurayamajō, if you go up to the topmost terrace there are stone-piled ramparts and the stairway to the main bailey. On the ramparts to the right of the stairs is a mogi yagura (sham turret). Originally there was nothing there but dobei (parapet walls). However, on the left side, where now there is dobei, there used to be a three-tiered yagura with a bell inside. That bell was moved to a temple in Ibigawa Township, Ibi County, called Shōrinji, where it now hangs in the temple's belfry.where it now hangs in the temple's belfry.)
Akayama Jin'ya + (The castle site is much bigger than expect … The castle site is much bigger than expected and the moats are beautifully preserved and maintained. This is also one of the most extensively signposted castle ruins I've been too. The photos here only show a small representation of the informational signs on the site that talk about not only the castle but the Ina Clan and their contributions to waterways management. The site is mostly a park today but parts of it are occupied by various plant, flower and bonsai nurseries. Even on the site, the signs mix castle and jin'ya regularly. It seems that the books I have and websites tend to call it jin'ya more often so that is what I've gone with.more often so that is what I've gone with.)
Kunaishoyu Castle + (The castle site is private property, but y … The castle site is private property, but you can see some of the original earthen embankments and layout of the central compound today. The nagayamon is really interesting and adds some historical ambiance to the site but is not actually from the castle. The size of the castle was much larger than just the private residence. There was some evidence (now developed over) of a wide area around the residence being encircled by the moat. It also led to nearby place names such as Horinouchi, or "within the moat". such as Horinouchi, or "within the moat".)
Oiwayama Fort + (The castle site itself is quite small and … The castle site itself is quite small and requires only about 20 minutes to view it in its entirety. To reach the castle you need to either hike 2km downhill from [[Shizugatake Fort]] or 1.1 km up from [[Iwasakiyama Fort]]. The main enclosure is well maintained and signposted but the side baileys are overgrown and hard to get into.aileys are overgrown and hard to get into.)
Omi Hachiman Castle + (The castle town at the base of the mountai … The castle town at the base of the mountain is a well known picturesque travel destination in the area. There is currently a temple on the castle grounds at the top but few people probably visit it for the castle ruins. It also offers nice views of the area and Lake Biwa.fers nice views of the area and Lake Biwa.)
Makabe Jinya + (The castle town has some interesting templ … The castle town has some interesting temples to visit while walking from Makabe Castle to the Jin'ya. There are no real remnants of the Jin'ya today, but it has some "period looking" buildings that are a museum and civic center. The museum was closed to all non-residents during the Covid19 state of emergency.nts during the Covid19 state of emergency.)
Kururi Castle + (The castle was built roughly 500m from the … The castle was built roughly 500m from the original [[Kokururi Castle]], but may have included some structures or built over some structures from Kokururi Castle too. Refer to the [[Kokururi Castle]] page for more information. The castle is an interesting combination of mountaintop castle and lowland castle. The Third Bailey (Sannomaru) is on the lowlands where the town is today and the Main Bailey (Honmaru) and Second Bailey (Ninomaru) are at the top. There are a few other small baileys and horikiri trenches at the top that are indicative of the original Sengoku Period mountaintop castle before it was built into an Edo Period castle. 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.g it construction for a total of 21 times.)

Amagasaki Castle + (The castle was reconstucted between 2018 and 2019.)

Nagurumi Castle + (The castle was significantly restored for … The castle was significantly restored for the 2016 Taiga Drama Sanadamaru. The the wooden palisades were built, earthen embankments restored, and many new signs added to make this a most enjoyable site to visit in Gunma. It can easily be combined with nearby [[Ogawa Castle]], [[Numata Castle]], [[Shiroi Castle]]. Nagurumi Castle is built atop a steep mountain overlooking the Tone River. Across the river and about 5km away is Numata Castle. If you were to attack Nagurumi Castle from Numata or across the river it would be almost unassailable given the steep cliffs protecting it. However, from the opposite side, the castle is actually more like a flatland castle. If you visit the castle I recommend you pay attention to this unique aspect too. It's also interesting that Numata Castle is built atop a mountain across the other side of the river. I can just imagine the rivals looking out over the Tone River valley at each other.I biked from the Jomokogen Shinkansen Station to Nagurumi Castle and then on to Numata Castle. You could also walk from the Jomokogen shinkansen stop. It's just a few minutes more walking but it's mostly flat and would allow you to stop by [[Ogawa Castle]] along the way. As a Shinkansen stop there are also several taxis waiting that could take you to Nagurumi Castle to save time too. The visitor center has a diorama and several good maps of the castle and brochures for nearby castles and historical sites.=====Videos=====START_WIDGET"'-c724202c913ca797END_WIDGETSTART_WIDGET"'-c724202c913ca797END_WIDGET)
Karasaki Castle + (The castle's layout is "L" shaped roughly, … The castle's layout is "L" shaped roughly, with terraced minor baileys streaking off down two ridges. At the top is a large sub-bailey and two integral baileys, the latter partially surrounded by dorui (earthen ramparts), now heavily eroded. To the rear, where the mountain climbs, is a dry moat. The castle further features tatebori (climbing moats) here and there on the mountain slopes. These features proved difficult to photograph though. The town at the base of the castle is still called Amenomiya, Karasakijō being the castle of the Amemiya Clan, and the ruins can be accessed via a small shrine, Shōkonsha, at the foot of the mountain there.konsha, at the foot of the mountain there.)
Tsukikuma Castle + (The castle's proper name was originally Na … The castle's proper name was originally Nagayama Castle, but in modern days it is more commonly referred to as Tsukikuma Castle after Mt. Tsukikuma where it's located. Other books and websites seem to split about half and half whether to call it Tsukikuma or Nagayama.Update by ART (Jan 2024; visited 2019): Tsukikumajō is a much storied site and each passing chapter of history has left its mark. The ruin consists of different types of ishigaki (stone-piled ramparts): including pilings of precisely hewn stone, roughly worked stone, and natural stones. Ishigaki can be seen in three separate parts of the castle. The uppermost segment of ishigaki in the rear of the honmaru (main bailey) is made up of larger, smooth blocks surrounded by smaller ones, and the gradient of the piling is more gentle; the quality of the stonework looks lesser. The impressive ishigaki at the front of the honmaru is more steeply piled. This is the "scar-face" ishigaki, because it partially collapsed in the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake and had to be restored so that now we can see half of the stones are light in hue, and the older half which survived the quake are much darker. At the foot of the castle mount the ramparts are made of regularly piled square blocks. Tsukikumajō is unique in that the castle mount is riddled with old caves. These are thought to be the ancient graves of the Kusakabe Clan, predating the castle, which were first excavated by Shionoya Masayoshi in the early 19th century during the construction of a shrine on the castle mount. In order to reach the shrine the mountain trail was widened, cutting into the mountain and revealing the caves which had human bones inside. Shionoya held a memorial service for the dead and built a kuyōtō (memorial monument) with a 'safe return' marker, featuring a poem by Hirose Tansō.Some of the caves were blocked off but others were open and so I crawled into them. The largest excavations often had two entrances to a tomb. These dual tunnels then turned toward each other and met ahead of a vault, presumably where their former occupants were interred. Where the caves were easiest to enter there was evidence of recent inhabitation (by homeless people?). Those caves choked with vegetation at the entrances were quite free of rubbish however, but were instead tenanted by such beasties and creepy crawlies as to deter any further investigations on my part. Denizens included bats, cave crickets and the dreaded gejigeji (scutigeromorph / house centipede). Perhaps not unsuitably for such a historic site, the castle has acquired multiple names in its time. Locally it is called Tsukikumajō, but it is also just as often called Nagayamajō or even Maruyamajō. Another possible name is Mamedajō, since the castle town is called Mameda. The castle later became a jin'ya or daikansho by the name of Hita. Names of the castle in Japanese: 月隈城・永山城・長山城・丸山城・豆田城・豆田の山城・日田陣屋・日田代官所 (there is a separate Hidajō on a mountain overlooking the town).Timeline: 1601: 'Maruyamajō' constructed by Ogawa Mitsūji.1616: 'Nagayamajō' constructed by Ishikawa Tadafusa. 1639: 'Hita-jin'ya' constructed by the Ogawa. It is located in front of Nagayamajō. 1665: The fort is made a branch castle of Higo-Kumamotojō under the Hosokawa; northwest moat expanded. 1682: Matsudaira Naonori becomes lord of the castle; his domain is valued at 70,000 koku. 1686: The territory becomes a tenryō, directly controlled by the Bakufu through their hatomoto representatives. The Ogawa once again take over, again as hereditary daikan (Shogunal representatives). 1767: Ibi Masatoshi becomes daikan. 1817: Shionoya Masayoshi becomes daikan and discoveres the hidden caves. 1868: Matsukata Masayoshi enters the castle, but as governor of Hita Prefecture. 1872: Feudalism is formally abolished and Hita Prefecture is merged into Ôita Prefecture. 1915: The site becomes a public park. Modern times: The site becomes known as Tsukikumajō, after the mount. Tsukikuma (Moon Nook) is part of a trio of hills in the area, the others being Hikuma (Sun Nook) and Hoshikuma (Star Nook). In 2016 the Kumamoto Earthquake causes damage to the ishigaki around the honmaru which has now been restored.d the honmaru which has now been restored.)
Toishi Iizuna Castle + (The center of Iiźunajō is located on a hil … The center of Iiźunajō is located on a hill behind an old meeting hall. This is private, cultivated land and access is restricted. However, the lower part of the castle is now the site of a grand old building which served as a meeting space for locals after the Edo Period. This structure sits on comely ishigaki (stone walls) dating to 1890.ely ishigaki (stone walls) dating to 1890.)
Sugimoto Castle + (The centre of Sugimotojō is thought to hav … The centre of Sugimotojō is thought to have been the peak above Sugimotodera, a temple most renowned now for its long set of mossy stone steps, though the castle's environs may have spread across the whole hill to where Jōmyōji, another temple, stands. It is not possible to access the wooded peak, Ôkurayama, above Sugimotodera, and so the temple itself is as close as we can get to Sugimotojō. The many gorintō (stone stupas in five tiers) at the temple are the graves (cenotaphs) of fallen warriors, and paying one's respects here should be the goal of castle explorers. Baileys of the castle are said to remain but I can find no other ruins reported, and given the time period I wouldn't expect much to remain. At anyrate the castle is not known for its ruins, but for its history. known for its ruins, but for its history.)
Shobata Castle + (The diorama is in an enclosure just outsid … The diorama is in an enclosure just outside the Shobata Station and is definitely one of the better models I've seen. The castle is roughly a ten minute walk away. This is probably the only castle where I've taken more photos of the diorama than the castle site itself. Despite some potential historical importance it is hard to recommend this site to any but the most die hard fans. Shobata Castle suffered the same fate of most flatland castles and was the victim of altering the course of rivers and development and modernization erasing it from the modern landscape.I dropped by on the first day of a trip to Nagoya but unfortunately it rained all the next 2 days so this was the only castle I ended up visiting on the trip. After filling up on miso katsu, miso nikomi udon and some unagi I went home early.omi udon and some unagi I went home early.)
Aiki Castle (Minochi) + (The earthly remains of Aikijō / Ainokijō c … The earthly remains of Aikijō / Ainokijō consist of lonely clump of piled earth in the corner of a girls' school. Probably this was part of a segment of dorui (earth-piled ramparts). There is a small shrine and a marker for the castle on top. I came here because I had some time to kill in Nagano City. *Note on reading: if "Ainoki" then the "no" is unwritten or rendered ノ, the possessive particle.en or rendered ノ, the possessive particle.)
Haibara Castle + (The entrance to the castle is well signpos … The entrance to the castle is well signposted from the Rengeji Temple, but once you pass the gate in the fence there are very few signs except for a few telling you things you could figure out by yourself like 堀切. I would have appreciated some maps or trail signs more. In fact, you really should get a map from the book 長野の山城ベスト５０ or 信濃の山城と館. The castle ruins are not well signposted and the trails are easy to lose. I got quite lost and shot well past the castle ruins once too. After you pass the fence (intended to keep wild animals out), take an immediate left and go up the mountain. There is another path that looks like it goes straight out in front of the gate up the valley, but it disappears so I had to double back. A sign here would have been nice !! So, follow the ridge for a bit and you’ll start seeing castle remnants. Haibara Castle has few stone walls but it has some of the most huge, complex and simply amazing trenches and earthworks of any castle I've seen. The photos really don't do them justice, especially if you think that they have naturally filled in up to 2 meters over the last 400 years. Since I stayed the night in Matsumoto, I took a taxi in the early morning (2700 yen) to the Rengeji Temple and took my bike with. I actually started this hike before 7am and was back down and on my bike on the way to the Hayashi castles about 10am. The route to Hayashiko Castle is mostly downhill so it was a fun and easy ride.s mostly downhill so it was a fun and easy ride.)
Kitanosho Castle + (The estimated site of the Honmaru is currently a shrine called Shibata Jinja.)
Ohmori Daikansho + (The famous Iwami Ginzan (Iwami Silver Mine … The famous Iwami Ginzan (Iwami Silver Mines), a World Heritage site since 2007, were of great economic significance to the Shogunate and thus fell under its direct control. But actual administration fell upon the Daikan (Shogunal Representative) who ran things from here. The site consists of original structures: the nagayamon (row house and gate house combined), built in 1815. The main hall, which now serves as the Iwami Ginzan Museum, was built in 1902 as the Nima District Hall. The latter's architecture, though evidently Meiji Period, is the inheritor to a form typical to daikansho (as seen at the Mizuhara-daikansho, for example), but I don't know how similar it is to the original main structure. I'm sharing this also to contextualise the Kawashima-bukeyashiki (samurai residence), also found in Ômori. The museum features exhibitions on rice, old face masks (Fukumen), silver mines, a map of silver mines in Japan, a map of daikansho and jin'ya in the Edo Period, and information about the daikansho, such as a complete list of office-holders and schematics of the site's floor plan.s and schematics of the site's floor plan.)
Uchi Castle (Chikuma) + (The former centre of Uchijō is located adjacent to the Horinōchi-yashiki and is today completely developed over with residential structures and vegetable patches, and so unfortunately no ruins remains of the medieval fort. See: [[Horinouchi Yashiki]].)
Yamabe Yakata + (The former fortified residence of the Yama … The former fortified residence of the Yamabe Clan is now Tokūnji ('Benevolent Cloud Temple'). The former yakata site is located at the foot of the western ridge that leads to Yamabe Castle, a yamajiro (mountain castle). There is some hiking to do between the two sites, although the lower reaches of Yamabe Castle reach about half way to the temple, along the western ridge. Before one reaches Yamabe Castle there is a shrine. The temple anyway is nice. It has a signboard which recaps the history of the area and of the temple from medieval times, but doesn't specifically mention the yakata, just that it was at the center of the base of operations of the Yamabe Clan. Yamabe Castle is accessed along the western ridge via the temple's necropolis. The gate between the cemetery and the temple garden has a sign which says 'Deer will not be admitted for prayer', and so the gate is kept closed on the latch. The hondō's roof is copper plated, presumably to preserve the thatching underneath.ably to preserve the thatching underneath.)
Hirabayashi Castle (Minochi) + (The former site of Hirabayashijō is now an … The former site of Hirabayashijō is now an insutrialised area and a temple built in the very unfortunate shape of concrete blocks. There is a stone marker showing the site of the castle.Update (2023):I had some time in the afternoon to do a brief cycling tour of minor sites around Nagano City using the rentable city bicycles ('Hello Cycling'). This site, Hirabayashijō, was actually a re-visit! Why would I bother twice visiting a less than minor site with no ruins? Well, the first time I walked right past this fine stone monument for the castle without noticing! So now I have a picture of it for myself... This illness I have is called 'advanced stage castle obsession'. Hirabayashijō, used by forces loyal to Takeda Shingen, was once quite vast, having three integral baileys surrounded by moats. But in the late Shōwa period a factory was built over what remained of the ruins.These pictures show the castle stele, and nice things in the area where the castle would've stood, including a big ol' tree. would've stood, including a big ol' tree.)
Nariai Yakata + (The former site of Narai-yakata was the tenth stop on my "Yakata Tour". The only markers I found here indicated former school sites of the Edo and Meiji periods, and nothing for the yakata. I identified no ruins and the site is now houses and fields.)
Yashirofuru Castle + (The former site of Yashirojō, otherwise kn … The former site of Yashirojō, otherwise known as Yashirofurujō ("Yashiro Old Castle") was located here, but now the site is a big factory. Yashiro is an industrial town, I gather from seeing many factories. It is part of Chikuma Municipality (千曲市), and is its largest settlement. Formerly it was part of a smaller municipality called Kōshoku (更埴市), which was a forerunner of the larger municipalities of the 21st century, being named for the two districts it spanned, Sarashina (更級郡) and Hanishina (埴科郡), with the Chikuma River dividing them. The Yashiro Clan were based on the Hanishina side.iro Clan were based on the Hanishina side.)
Kameda Castle + (The former site of jin’ya called Kameda is … The former site of jin’ya called Kameda is now inhabited by a pair of complexes. Firstly there is an art gallery with a castle gatehouse, complete with Ishigaki and ensconced galleries outwardly designed to look like palatial structures. About a minute away around the corner is Amasagi-mura, a tourist attraction which features a mock reconstructed castle keep. Although these two structures are collectively known as Kamedajō, they are not historically accurate. I came therefore quite early just to admire the faux reconstructions, and I didn’t have time to wait around for Amasagi Village to open but it does contain an actual historical structure: Unuma-bukeyashiki (Samurai Residence of the Unuma), which has been relocated to the village. I could only see its thatched roof from behind a wall. The keep is just a folk museum with some token armour sets. I had no interest in visiting the art gallery. I went around the back and was able to see most of the mock reconstruction this way. An older castle called [[Akozu Castle]] is on the mountain next to Kamedajō so I went to hunt for the ruins of that immediate after. There another mock reconstruction, a pagoda-shaped turret marking the sannomaru of Akozujō, can be seen from the foot of the mountain. Also on the mountain and visible from below is Amasagi Wine Castle. It’s roof sort of looks like a castle with dual peaked gables on one side, but it otherwise looks nothing like one. This isn’t even the only “wine castle” in Japan. There are more wine castles that exist. I visited the wine castle for my health. Then I investigated the ruins of the mountaintop castle Akozujō.e ruins of the mountaintop castle Akozujō.)
Asama Yakata + (The former site of the fortified manor hou … The former site of the fortified manor house of the Akazawa Clan is now a school; there is little so see. This site connects historically to several nearby castle sites: [[Shinagura Castle]], [[Chausuyama Castle (Shinano)]], [[Hayaotoshi Castle]], [[Shimoasama Yakata]] and possibly [[Yokoyairi Fort]]. Update: there is some clumped up earth at the edge of the school grounds but I cannot say for sure if this is related to the yakata site. I did find this site marked on a map of historical sites produced by the municipality, however, which lists it alongside nearby Shimoasama-yakata, or Lower Asama Yakata. Shimoasama-yakata, or Lower Asama Yakata.)
Yashiro Yakata + (The fortified manor hall of the Yashiro Clan is now the site of the temple Manshōji. Located at the foot of the Yashirojō castle-mount, the two sites formed a typical jōkan complex.)
Onikuma Yakata + (The fortified manor house of the "Demon Bear Clan (Onikuma-shi)" sits on a plateau overlooking a river. The site is now on private property, but I had a look from below. The advantage of the terrain is obvious enough but I found no ruins of the yakata.)
Matsudaira Yakata + (The fortified manor site is obviously infl … The fortified manor site is obviously influenced by castle construction of the time with Edo Period stone walls and a small water filled moat. There is even yokoya built into the walls for flanking fire against attackers. The site now houses the Matsudaira Toshogu Shrine. The village is in a really neat location. The mouth of the valley is narrow making entrance difficult if it were defended. At the entrance is a convenient hill with [[Matsudaira Castle]] to protect the valley and highway below. In the back of the valley is Kogetsuin, the funerary temple and grave site of Matsudaira Chikauji, the founder of the village and patriarch of the Matsudaira clan. I've included some photos of these sites as well even though they are not strictly castle related. This is a fascinating place to visit for any Tokugawa fan or history fan. The area is filled with other mountaintop castles and several hiking trails around the nearby mountains and hills so it may be a good visit along with a day of hiking too.good visit along with a day of hiking too.)
Aizu Wakamatsu Castle + (The gray roofing tiles were all replaced in 2010-2011 with reddish tiles to match the original construction. The castle has many great moats and stone walls so I recommend taking the time to walk the grounds.)
Mogusa Castle + (The grounds today are occupied by a shrine … The grounds today are occupied by a shrine in one part and the Keio Mogusa Gardens in another. The castle remnants are on the ridge line behind these structures. You can see an illustration of the castle [http://yogokun.my.coocan.jp/tokyo/hinosi.htm on this site]. It is the [http://yogokun.my.coocan.jp/tokyo/mogusatyo.jpg second illustration] from the bottom. You will need to pay the 300 yen to enter the gardens to see most of the castle ruins. The gardens would be quite nice for fall colors and spring flowers, so I would recommend visiting during these seasons. There is also a nice old farmhouse on the grounds. I've included a few photos of it here. It is a short walk from the station and can be visited with [[Takahata Castle]] and other castles in the area.[[Takahata Castle]] and other castles in the area.)
Sawazoko Horinouchi Yakata + (The hidden valley of Sawazoko with its bea … The hidden valley of Sawazoko with its beautiful rural scenery and architecture is the site of two manor hall sites. I enjoyed playing hide and seek with ducks in rice paddies. The site of Sawazokohorinōchi-yakata is located close to ‘Japan’s Oldest Dōsojin’. Dōsojin are roadside guardian deities which offer protection to travellers and pilgrims. They are often represented as an embracing couple carved into stone tablets.mbracing couple carved into stone tablets.)
Mamyoda Fort + (The history of this fort site, Mamyōda-tor … The history of this fort site, Mamyōda-toride, is fairly well known but scant ruins remain. This elevated area with an old olive holly (false holly) in the corner, a natural monument (the largest of its species in Yamanashi), is the remnants of the fort, and it is now a cemetery. Most of the fort ruins, which encompassed moats and ramparts, has been cleared away and a large highway now ploughs through the site (one castle blogger points an accusatory finger at the Japan Highway Public Corporation as a major destroyer of castle ruins in Yamanashi, saying the Chūō expressway alone has destroyed ten such sites). We can get some idea of the defensive position from visiting the cemetery, and there is some nice old ishigaki (stone wall) here, though it is not from the time of the fort.hough it is not from the time of the fort.)
Nihonmatsu Castle + (The honmaru and it's stone walls site on t … The honmaru and it's stone walls site on top of the mountain a short hike from the reconstructed Minowa Gate you see in the picture above. It is definitely worth the trip up to see not only this but the awesome view of the surrounding area. The Chrysanthemum Festival which begins in October and runs into November was also quite impressive.s into November was also quite impressive.)