112.Kasama Castle Part2

Today, the ruins of Kasama Castle have been convenient for both drivers and hikers. For example, if you drive to the ruins, you can choose either parking at the foot of the mountain before a long walk or parking at the mid slope near the top.

Features

Walking from Foot is recommended

Today, the ruins of Kasama Castle have been convenient for both drivers and hikers. For example, if you drive to the ruins, you can choose either parking at the foot of the mountain before a long walk or parking at the mid slope near the top. However, if you have enough time to visit there, it may be better to take the former route because there are many more attractions of the castle widely spread throughout.

The map around the castle

Therefore, let us start from the parking lot at the foot to reach the top via the forest road to the mid slope for visiting the ruins by walk mentioned earlier in this article. Please be careful of the many cars that might pass your side. There are several hills around the castle ruins, so you will go on the winding road among the hills. The road eventually turns right at a right angle, which is the entrance to the castle ruins. In addition, if you go straight passing though the spot on the narrow path, you will get to the ruins of the northern gateway called Sakao-no-dorui (meaning the earthen walls of Sakao).

The parking lot at the foot of the mountain
The forest road to the castle ruins
If you turn right, you will get to the castle ruins, or you will be at the earthen walls of Sakao if you go straight
The earthen walls of Sakao

Looking at Mysterious Huge Rock and Outer Dry Moats

Going back to the forest road to the castle, you will see a huge rock which partially blocks the road on the left. It is called Daikokuseki (meaning the Rock of Mahakala) which has an interesting folklore as the following. When Shofukuji Temple fought against Tokuzoji Temple but was outnumbered and was at disadvantage, the huge rock near the top suddenly collapsed. The rock crushed the monk soldiers of Tokuzoji side on the narrow path, which resulted in their withdrawal. Since then, the rock has been called the Rock of Mahakala because it looks like the sack Mahalaka has and brought a fortune to the Shofukuji side which was located on the mountain (Mahalaka is the god of wealth in Japan).

Getting close to the rock
Be careful when you pass through the rock

You will next see a large ditch on the left, which is part of the outer dry moats surrounding the whole castle area. That means this is where the entrance of the castle is. You will then walk on the road with a hill on the left and another hill over the valley on the right. They are all the ruins of the forts, so if you were an enemy, you would be attacked from both sides.

The Outer Dry Moats
There was a fort on the hill on the left of the road
There was another fort on the right of the road across the valley

Sennin-Damari Enclosure and One Hundred Quarters Ruins at Mid Slope

You will eventually turn right and go across an earthen bridge over the valley before arriving at the parking lot at the mid slope. It was actually a large enclosure called Sennin-Damari (meaning Accommodating Ten Thousand Soldiers), which was probably used as a military post or barracks.

If you turn right, you will get to Sennin-Damari Enclosure, and there are the ruins of the One Hundred Quarters on the left
The Sennin-Damari Enclosure, seen from the ruins of the One Hundred Quarters
The Sennin-Damari Enclosure (the parking lot at mid slope)

There is also the ruin of the One Hundred Quarters of Shofukuji Temple opposite the enclosure across the forest road, where the temple prospered. However, there are no buildings and structures, but only the signboard and leveled ground with few graves, so it may look like another ruins of the castle’s fort.

The ruin of the One Hundred Quarters
There are few graves remaining

From Main Gate to Main Enclosure

All visitors have to walk from the Sennin-Damari Enclosure to the center after passing a gate built by alternating stone walls. However, you can easily go on the restricted road to the top beside some castle items such as the Main Gate Ruins and partially remaining stone walls.

Every visitor has to walk from the Sennin-Damari Enclosure
The ruins of the Main Gate
You can easily get to the Main Enclosure along the restricted road
The remaining stone walls on the way

You actually have another option to get to the top by walking on a rough path through the original gates. You can first take the stone steps of the Main Gate and pass its Masugata system. Then, you will once meet the restricted road, but you can find other stone steps to the path on the right.

The map around the castle, the red broken line indicates the route through the original gates

Climbing the stone steps of the Main Gate
You will once meet the restricted road
You will find other stone steps to the path on the right

If you go on the path crossing the slope, you will pass beside the Second Enclosure and reach the ruins of the Main Enclosure Gate which are similar to the Main Gate. No matter which way you choose, you will arrive at the same place, the Main Enclosure.

Going on the path crossing the slope
There is the Main Enclosure ahead and the Second Enclosure on the right
Arriving at the ruins of the Main Enclosure Gate
The Masugata system of the Main Enclosure Gate remains maybe better than the Main Gate
In the miniature model of Kasama Castle, the gate in the red circle is the Main Gate and that in the blue circle is the Main Enclosure Gate, I think

To be continued in “Kasama Castle Part3”
Back to “Kasama Castle Part1”

投稿者: Yuzo

城巡りが好きなYuzoです。日本には数万の城があったといわれています。その内の200名城を手始めにどんどん紹介していきます。 I'm Yuzo, I love visiting castles and ruins. It is said that there were tens of thousands castles in Japan. I will introduce you top 200 castles and ruins of them, and more!

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