Hachigata Castle

Hachigata Castle (鉢形城, Hachigata-jō) was a Japanese castle, located in Yorii, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. The site was designated a National Historic Site.

Hachigata Castle
鉢形城
Hachiōji, Saitama Prefecture, Japan
Reconstructed gate and wall of Hachigata castle
TypeHira-style castle
Site information
OwnerUesugi clan, Later Hōjō clan
Conditionruins
Site history
Built1476
Built byNagao Kageharu
Demolished1590
EventsSiege of Odawara (1590)
Garrison information
Past
commanders		Nagao Kageharu, Uesugi Akisada, Hōjō Ujikuni

History

Hachigata Castle was built in approximately 1476 by Nagao Kageharu of the Later Hōjō clan. The castle was constructed at an excellent location, as it oversaw much traffic at an important crossroads, and was situated between two rivers. Hōjō Ujikuni improved the defences of the castle after he became lord in 1560.

Takeda Shingen attempted to seize the castle in 1568 during the Siege of Hachigata (1568),[1] but failed due to its extensive fortifications. For a month in 1590, Hachigata Castle held off the forces of both Maeda Toshiie and Uesugi Kagekatsu with a mere 3,000 defenders during the Siege of Hachigata (1590). Ujikuni finally surrendered the castle under the condition that the lives of his men would be spared. During the Edo period, the castle was demolished.

Today

Along with a large amount of ruins that remain largely undisturbed by development, a small part of the castle has been reconstructed, including some walls, a gate, and a building. About 20 minutes by walk from Yorii Station. A museum dedicated to the castle's history has also been erected.[2]

  • Honmaru compound of Hachigata castle
  • Reconstructed pond and small building of Hachigata castle
  • Water moat of Hachigata castle
  • Eathen wall of Hachigata castle
  • Moat and Umadashi compound of Hachigata castle
  • Stone wal of Hachigata　castle
  • Hachigata castle historical Museum

References
  1. Turnbull, Stephen (1998). The Samurai Sourcebook. Cassell & Co. p. 218. ISBN 1854095234.
  2. Hachigata Castle Archived 2008-04-22 at the Wayback Machine
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.