19.Kawagoe Castle Part1

Kawagoe Castle was located in modern day Kawagoe City of Saitama Prefecture at the central part of the Kanto Region. Its former castle town is known as the street with many Kura storehouses and named as a little Edo, which attracts many tourists. The castle and town were developed with a deep relationship with Edo City (the current Tokyo), the shogun’s capital.

Location and History

Kawagoe Castle was located in modern day Kawagoe City of Saitama Prefecture at the central part of the Kanto Region. The city is known as the street with many Kura storehouses and named as a little Edo, which attracts many tourists. In fact, the streets were mostly rebuilt after Kawagoe Great Fire in 1893 of the Meiji Era, not during the Edo Period. However, the city area originates from the castle town of Kawagoe Castle. In addition, the castle and town were developed with a deep relationship with Edo City (the current Tokyo), the shogun’s capital.

The range of Kawagoe City and the location of the castle

The Osawa Clan’s residence, the originator of the Kura storehouses, which survived the great fire and was followed by the others
Toki-no-kane (time bell tower) of Kawagoe

Dokan Ota builds Castle

The Kawagoe area is surrounded by curved Iruma River in three directions, the north, east and west. That’s why the city’s name may come from the place you need to go over (Goe) the river (Kawa). The first lord family of the area is said to be the Kawagoe Clan which lived in the western riverside of the Iruma River between the 12th and 14th Centuries. The clan’s residence was still not located in the later Kawagoe Castle. The castle was first built in 1457 by Dokan Ota who was a senior vassal of the Ogigayatsu Uesugi Clan. The clan had been fighting against the Ashikaga Clan since 1455, together with the relative Yamanouchi Uesugi Clan. They confronted at Tone River, the largest river in the Kanto Region. The Uesugi Clans took their positions at the western side of the river, that’s why they needed several new castles behind the river. Kawagoe Castle was one of the three major ones, followed by Edo and Iwatsuki Castles.

The map around the castle

The ruins of the Kawagoe Clan’s residence
The copy of the sitting statue of Dokan Ota, exhibited by Kawagoe City Museum
Part of “View of Edo” left screen. pair of six-panel folding screens, in the 17th century, owned by National Museum of Japanese History (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Stage of Night Battle of Kawagoe

Kawagoe Castle eventually became the home of the Ogikayatsu Uesugi Clan. When the clan had an internal conflict with the Yamanouchi Uesugi Clan during the beginning of the 16th Century, the castle became the frontline of the battle. This was because the Yamanouchi Uesugi Clan reused the former Kawagoe Clan’s residence as its encampment across the Iruma River. During their internal fighting, the Hojo Clan invaded the Kanto Region and finally captured Kawagoe Castle in 1537. Both Uesugi Clans noticed their crisis and made peace with each other to get the castle back. The clans’ large troops surrounded the castle which was owned by Tsunanari Hojo in October of 1545.

The ruins of the moats the Yamanouchi-Uesugi Clan built at the former Kawagoe Clan’s residence

The castle was still small at that time and located at the edge of Musashino Plateau with few enclosures made of soil. However, it was protected by natural waterlogged areas around the Iruma River in three directions, the north, south and east. It was thought that artificial ditches and moats were built in the other direction and around the castle. In April of 1546, Ujiyasu Hojo, the lord of the clan reinforced the castle. He announced that he and the castle would surrender to the Uesugi Clans, which threw them off their guard. On 20th of April, Ujiyasu started a night attack against the Uesugi Clans, which was called the Night Battle of Kawagoe. A severe battle happened at Tomyoji Temple, just about 800m away from the center of the castle. That resulted in the Hojo’s hegemony and the Uesugi’s destruction in the region.

The relief map around the castle, the slight elevation around Shingashi RIver is the Musashino Plateau

Isanuma Marsh, located in the east of the castle ruins, around the castle may have been like this in the past
The current Tomyoji Temple
The portrait of Ujityasu Hojo, owned by Odawara Castle (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Place to Stay for Shoguns

The region was owned by the Tokugawa Clan at the end of the 16th Century and the Tokugawa Shogunate was established in 1603. Edo Castle became the shogun’s home, so Kawagoe Castle became an important defense for Edo Castle to the north. That’s why the Sakai Clan, which was trusted by the shoguns, became the lords of Kawagoe Castle. Oher than that, the 1st shogun (Ieyasu) and the 3rd shogun (Iemitsu) often stayed in Kawagoe Castle when they went hunting. There was an episode which indicated their relationship with Kawagoe as following. The Kitain Temple in Kawagoe was re-established by Priest Tenkai who was also trusted by the shoguns in 1599. However, it was burned down by a great fire in 1638. The shogun, Iemitsu ordered to immediately restore the temple, offering some Edo Castle’s buildings including his birth room and his foster mother, Lady Kasuga’s make-up room. They are remaining in the temple.

The main enclosure of Kawagoe Castle drawn in “View of Edo”, the buildings inside seem to have been the shogun’s loggings, exhibited by National Museum of Japanese Histories
The portrait of Iemitsu Tokugawa, owned by Kinzanji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
Kitain Temple (its multi-treasure pagoda)
The buildings of the former Edo Castle Main Hall, remaining in the temple

Important Defense and Satellite City for Edo

The castle and the area around were followed by several other hereditary vassals of the shoguns as the Kawagoe Domain. Some of them became members of the shogun’s council of elders in the central government. One of them, Nobutsuna Matsudaira improved the castle. He doubled the castle’s range by building new enclosures, turrets and gates. However, the castle was still basically made of soil without the Main Tower, which looked like a group of halls. To prevent enemies from invading, complex routes were built with earthen walls, mud walls, and water moats, instead of high stone walls and turrets in other castles. The castle town was also developed with Kawagoe Road, Shingashi River as waterways, and agricultural land. As a result, the town prospered by providing their products, such as Somen noodles, silk goods, and Kawagoe sweet potatoes which is still popular, to Edo City which was already one of the largest cities in the world.

The miniature model of Kawagoe Castle after the improvement, the Kitain Temple is over there, exhibited by Kawagoe City Museum
Kawagoe sweet potatoes

The center of the castle was the Main Hall in the second enclosure. While the main enclosure had been used as the loggings for the shoguns it was abandoned for sometime. After the Main Hall was burned down in 1846, the Kawagoe Domain decided to rebuild the hall in the main enclosure. Although the domain was facing huge financial problems due to being in charge of the coast guard of Edo Bay against possible invasions form the Western ships, the hall was completed in 1848 thanks to lots of additional taxes and donations from locals.

The second enclosure of Kawagoe Castle drawn in “View of Edo”, exhibited by National Museum of Japanese Histories
The remaininng Main Hall of Kawagoe Castle

To be continued in “Kawagoe Castle Part2”

114.Karasawayama Castle Part3

The stone walls of the main enclosure entrance are not so high, but use several huge ornament stones.
In addition, the entrance was recently researched and it was found that it had a turret gate. Overall, these structures made the castle stronger as well as more authorized.

Features

Great Stone Walls of Main Enclosure

The stone walls are around 8m high and about 40m long. They were built by piling natural or roughly processed stones in a way called Nozura-zumi. They look rough but really great! It was said that the last lord, Nobuyoshi Sano built them by inviting an excellent guild of stone craftsmen celled Ano-shu from western Japan.

The map around the castle

The high stone walls of the enclosure
The stone walls seen from the second enclosure side

You will eventually enter the second enclosure just below the main enclosure. Therefore, you will see the entrance of the main enclosure, which was also surrounded by great stone walls. They are not so high (at 2.5m), but use several huge ornament stones, called Kagami-ishi (meaning mirror stones).
In addition, the entrance was recently researched and it was found that it had a turret gate. Overall, these structures made the castle stronger as well as more authorized.

The second enclosure in the front and the main enclosure in the back
The entrance of the main enclosure
One of the ornament stones

The enclosure is on top of the mountain and is used for the shine buildings. It is unknown what buildings it had in the past, but it might have had buildings like the Main Hall and the Main Tower.

The front shrine hall
The stone walls around the enclosure

Defensive Spots in North and South

There is another enclosure, in the south of the main enclosure, called Nanjo (meaning southern castle). It was built to protect the southern ridge of the mountain where you can see stone walls and dry moats around. The shrine office is on the enclosure and this is another great viewing spot. If the weather is fine, you can enjoy a view of both Tokyo Sky Tree and Mt. Fuji. Nobuyoshi might have had no choice but to accept the shogunate’s close questioning that looking down on Edo Castle from the mountain would be rude.

The southern castle
The stone walls around the enclosure
The dry moats around the enclosure, called the First Moat
A view from the enclosure, it was clouded when I visited there

There is also other enclosures on the northern ridges, such as the Northern Castle. They are basically made of soil, divided by earthen ditches and connected by earthen bridges, which were older parts of the castle.

The Nagato-maru Enclosure
The Kane-no-maru Enclosure
The Sugi Enclosure
The double ditches between the Sugi and northern enclosures
The northern enclosure

Hiking Course has other Castle Ruins

For hikers, it is recommended to try part of Karasawayama Shuyu(Round) Course, from the castle to Imori-yama Mountain via the Kagami-iwa Rock, Byobu-iwa Rock and Gongen-do Hall Ruins. The course is on another ridge connected to the Karasawayama Mountain, which was a defense point for the castle.

The map around the mountain

The relief map around the mountain

The location map of the hiking course
The Kagami-iwa Rock
The byobu-iwa Rock and the view

That’s why you can see a set of a narrow bridge with artificial ditches on the way. You can also enjoy a great view of the whole Kanto Region on each peak of the ridge. The Imori Mountain is where Kenshin Uesugi and Masatsuna Sano fought against each other in their last battle in 1570.

The bridge over the ditch
Going to the Gongendo Hall Ruins
A view from the hall ruins
The zoomed Mt. Fuji
The top of the Imori Mountain

Later History

After the Sano Clan was banished by the Tokugawa Shogunate, the Ii Clan which was a senior vassal family of the shogunate owned the Sano area as its detached territory during the Edo Period. The clan banned people from entering the mountain, the former castle area. That’s why the ruins of the castle have been preserved in a good condition. After the Meiji Restoration, locals established the Karasawayama Shrine in 1883. Establishing shrines on castle ruins was a popular way to maintain them at that time. The ruins also became part of Karasawayama Prefectural Natural Park in 1965. That’s why several approaches and hiking courses have been developed there. As for castle ruins, Sano City has been researching and studying them since 2007. As a result, they were designated as a National Historic Site in 2014.

Karasawayama Shrine

My Impression

The current people often say Kenshin Uesugi attacked Karasawayama Castle and approached its main enclosure, but failed. Meanwhile, Kenshin himself wrote on his letter in 1567 when he owned the castle and was attacked by the Hojo Clan that “Only the Main Enclosure remained”. I’m not sure if similar things happened twice whether the people misunderstood Kenshin’s sides. Either way, Kenshin and the castle were closely involved. I think the people are still borrowing his name even today to explain about the strength of the castle.

The main enclosure of Karasawayama Castle

How to get There

If you want to visit the castle ruins by car, it is about a 10-minute drive away from Sano-Tanuma IC on the Kitakanto Expressway.
There are parking lots at the foot, the mid slope and top of the mountain.
By public transportation, it takes about 40 minutes on foot from Tanuma Station on the Tobu-Sano Line to the top.
From Tokyo to the station: take the train on the Joban Line from Tokyo or Ueno Stations, transfer to the Tobu-Isesaki Line at Kitasenju Station, and transfer to the Tobu-Sano Line at Tatebayashi Station.

The parking lot at the top
The parking lot at the southern route
The parking lot at the western route
The parking lot on the way of the hiking course

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Karasawayama Castle Part1”
Back to “Karasawayama Castle Part2”

114.Karasawayama Castle Part1

The last lord of the castle, Nobuyoshi Sano built high stone walls on the main portion of the castle, which was a rare case in the region. It must have been done with help from Hideyoshi Toyotomi because he and his retainers had built many similar stone walls in western Japan.

Location and History

Sano Clan builds Castle during Sengoku Period

Karasawayama Castle was located in modern day Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture, which was a large mountain castle beside the northern edge of the Kanto Plain. Tradition says that a famous general, Hidesato Fujiwara built it in 972 during the Ancient times. However, historians think that it was created by the Sano Clan, who were descendants of Hidesato and governed the castle for a long time. According to the results of the research and studies, the clan first lived in a hall at the western foot of the mountain until the 15th Century. It was thought that the castle was built or developed by the clan on the mountain when many battles happened in the Kanto Region, during the Sengoku Period. Other popular mountain castles in the region like Kanayama and Minowa Castles were built at the same time to protect the owners under the severe conditions. The Sano Clan first used the mountain castle in the cases of emergency, but eventually lived in it to survive.

The range of Sano City and the location of the castle

The relief map around the castle

The ruins of the Sano Clan’s residence (current Koshoji Temple)
The ruins of Karasawayama Castle
The ruins of Kanayama Castle
The ruins of Minowa Castle

Kenshin Uesugi devotes to capture Castle

On the other hand, great warlords, who wanted to rule over the region, thought they would need to get Karasawayama Castle because of its advantageous location. Kenshin Uesugi was one of them and was devoted to do it. There is a symbolic episode when he first invaded the Kanto Region around 1560. He visited Karasawayama Castle with few vassals, which was surrounded by his enemy, the Hojo Clan’s large troops, to persuade the lord of castle, Masatsuna Sano to support him until he succeeded. However, every time Kenshin returned to his home, Kasugayama Castle in Echigo Province, the Hojo Clan got its territory back and forced local lords to support it. Masatsuna was one of them and he had to switch allegiance.

The portrait of Kenshin Uesugi, owned by the Uesugi Shrine (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
The ruins of Kasugayama Castle

Kenshin, who is considered one of the strongest generals, got angry and attacked the castle, but was not able to capture it by force as it was really strong. Even when Masatsuna surrendered to Kenshin, they would do the same things after Kenshin went back. As a result, they fought with each other at least five times. Kenshin once banished Masatsuna from the castle and sent his relative and vassals to govern it. However, he finally returned the castle to Masatsuna for some reasons. He might have felt the difficulty of how to control this distant site.

The portrait of Masatsuna Sano, owned by Daianji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

High stone walls are built with help of Hideyoshi Toyotomi

The Kanto Region, including Karasawayama Castle, eventually belonged to the Hojo Clan during the 1570’s and 1580’s. It sent its relative, Ujitada Hojo to govern the castle like Kenshin had used to do. On the other hand, Masatsuna’s relative, Fusatsuna Sano ran away from the region to western Japan to serve Hideyoshi Toyotomi who was the ruler of Japan at that time. Fusatsuna led Hideyoshi to the region when they invaded it in 1590, which resulted in Fusatsuna getting the castle back as the lord. However, Hideyoshi seemed to also want to control the castle. He made the little brother of his close vassal, Nobutaka Tomita to be the successor of Fusatsuna, which would be called Nobuyoshi Sano, the last lord of the clan and the castle. This could be because his rival, Ieyasu Tokugawa was moved by him to the region. He wanted to have Ieyasu monitored by someone reliable.

The Portrait of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, attributed to Mitsunobu Kano, owned by Kodaiji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Karasawayama Castle was built on a large mountain which had several ridges. Lots of enclosures were also built on the top and the ridges which had turrets, lookouts, guard houses and shooting points to monitor and attack enemies. These ridges or enclosures were divided by deep ditches to prevent enemies from invading easily. There are two main routes in the south and west, which gathered at the meeting point in front of the Main Gate near the top, which were controlled by the castle’s soldiers. The foot area was used as the lords and senior vassals’ residences surrounded by thick and long earthen walls for defense. They had been developed and improved by the Sano, Uesugi, and Hojo Clans for a long time.

Karasawayama Mountain where the castle was built
The remaining earthen walls at the foot of the mountain
The ruins of the residence of a sennior vassal at the foot of the mountain called Hayato-Yashiki

The castle’s foundations were basically made of soil, which was a common way of building castles in eastern Japan at that time. However, the last lord, Nobuyoshi built high stone walls on the main portion of the castle, which was a rare case in the region. It must have been done with help from Hideyoshi because he and his retainers had built many similar stone walls in western Japan. On the other hand, Ieyasu still didn’t have the techniques and guilds for building such high stone walls. That meant the stone walls of strong Karasawayama Castle must have been a big threat to Ieyasu.

The high stone walls of Karasawayama Castle

Life of Castle suddenly ends, ordered by Ieyasu Tokugawa

When Ieyasu got the power to be the ruler around 1600 after Hideyoshi died, Nobuyoshi somehow survived by supporting Ieyasu. However, the declinations of Karasawayama Castle and the Sano Clan suddenly occured. In 1602, Ieyasu ordered Nobuyoshi to move from Karasawayama to Sano Castle in a plain area nearby. It was said that the reason for it was that it could be rude for Nobuyoshi to look down on Ieyasu’s home, Edo Castle from the mountain castle. Nobuyoshi was finally fired by Ieyasu in 1614 due to being implicated for a crime of his brother, Nobutaka Tomita. Overall, Ieyasu seemed to want to remove possible rebels like Nobuyoshi with strong castles like Karasawayama.

The Portrait of Ieyasu Tokugawa, attributed to Tanyu Kano, owned by Osaka Castle Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
The ruins of Sano Castle

To be continued in “Karasawayama Castle Part2”