133.Samegao Castle Part3

Features

Main Enclosure and Granary Ruins

The Main Enclosure on the top of the mountain is above the meeting point of the routes. There is a rest station on the top where you can take a rest and enjoy a nice view of the Kubiki Plain, which was the core territory of the Uesugi Clan in the past.

The map around the Main Enclosure

Another enclosure called Komegura-ato, or the granary ruins, is just below the Main Enclosure over another ditch. Lots of burned rice grains were found in this enclosure, probably for the same reason as the Third Enclosure. The ditches around the Main Enclosure seem to have been used as access ways, which is also interesting.

Later History

After the Otate Rebellion, Samegao Castle was abandoned. The burned rice grains in the granary ruins were already known in the Edo Period. The research of the castle ruins started in 1963. The excavation was also done between 2001 and 2006. It found that the ruins still kept the state of the abandoned castle in good condition. As a result, They were designated as a National Historic Site in 2008.

My Impression

The ruins of Samegao Castle are becoming popular among history fans, including women, due to the tragic story of Kagetora Uesugi. Some historians also speculate that if Kagetora had won in the Otate Rebellion, the three clans, the Uesugi, Takeda and Hojo, could have been united against the threat from the rulers in western Japan, Nobunaga Oda and Hideyoshi Toyotomi. Historical fact tells us the Takeda and the Hojo were isolated from each other after the rebellion, and defeated one by one. Only the Uesugi somehow survived. It may be a good way to visit a castle or castle ruins to think about real history or speculative history.

How to get There

If you want to visit the ruins by car, it is about a 15-minute drive away from Joetsu IC or Nakago IC on the Joshinetsu Expressway. There is a parking lot for visitors in front of the park.
If you want to use public transportation, it takes about 30 minutes on foot from Kita-Arai Station on the Echigo Tokimeki Railway to get there.
To get to Kita-Arai Station from Tokyo: Take the Hokuriku Shinkansen Super Express and transfer at Joetsu-Myoko Station to the Echigo Tokimeki Railway.

That’s all. Thank you.
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