Takada Castle (Niigata)

If you go to Kasugayama Castle, Takada Castle is also a must. It is just one stop away by train. I recommend visiting between late fall and early spring before the leaves on the trees obscure the main keep. There is always a debate about letting trees and shrubs grow on castle grounds, but I really

History

Takada Castle was built by Matsudaira Tadateru, the sixth son of Tokugawa Ieyasu. This was one of the 天下普請 (tenka fushin - Tokugawa public works) projects. Thirteen regional lords completed the castle in only four months. The layout and construction was actually directed by Tadateru's father-in-law, Date Masamune. The main keep was a 3 level yagura, that looked similar to the Fujimi Yagura of Edo Castle. The castle makes use of two nearby rivers to act as moats. The castle is a flatland castle, built on a fairly large scale, but it never had any stone walls. A large, flatland castle from this time should have had stone walls and foundations. There are several theories that they were not built to save time and expense, there were no suitable stones in the area, the ground is too soft, and that higher earthen embankments and wider moats provided a better defense. In the Meiji Period the moats were largely filled in and the earthen embankments flattened to make a suitable military base.

Field Notes

If you go to Kasugayama Castle, Takada Castle is also a must. It is just one stop away by train. I recommend visiting between late fall and early spring before the leaves on the trees obscure the main keep. There is always a debate about letting trees and shrubs grow on castle grounds, but I really think they need to trim these trees more.

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Gallery

3 level yagura, main keep
3 level yagura, main keep
main keep
3 level yagura, main keep
main keep
reconstructed wall
interior of the main keep
view from the top
Gokuraku Bridge
Honmaru Moat
NIshibori Bridge and moat
Map

Castle Profile
English Name	Takada Castle (Niigata)
Japanese Name	高田城
Founder	Matsudaira Tadateru
Year Founded	1614
Castle Type	Flatland
Castle Condition	Reconstructed main keep
Designations	Next 100 Castles, Prefectural Historic Site
Historical Period	Edo Period
Main Keep Structure	3 levels, 3 stories
Year Reconstructed	1993 (steel, wood)
Features	main keep, bridges, water moats, stone walls, walls
Visitor Information
Access	Takada Sta. (Shin'etsu Line); 20 min walk
Hours
Time Required
URL	Castle Website
Location	Joetsu, Niigata Prefecture
Coordinates	37.10988, 138.25594
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2011
Contributor	Eric
Admin Year Visited	2011
Admin Visits	October 10, 2011

2.87

(15 votes)

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