Hachioji castle – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

17.Kanayama Castle Part2

An impregnable fortress on a hiking course

Features

Castle Ruins on Hiking Course

Today, the ruins of Kanayama Castle have been well developed by Ota City. The mountain, where the ruins were located, are covered by several hiking courses including the routes to the ruins, where you can see many people enjoying and relaxing on them. For history fans visiting the ruins, it may be better to climb Nishiyama (the Western Mountain) course from such as Historic Site Kanayama Castle Guidance Facility.

The map around the castle

Historic Site Kanayama Castle Guidance Facility

The entrance to the Western Mountain course from the facility

Arriving at the parking lot on the mountain

Drivers can also go straight to the parking lot on the mountain through the Kanayama Drive Way, about 700m away from the top, around Nishijo or the Western Castle area. The Western Mountain hiking course also meets the area, so a tour to the ruins usually starts there.

The entrance ruins of the Western Castle near the parking lot

Defense system to prevent enemies from attacking Castle easily

To go to the center of the ruins, you need to go on the original or recently developed route towards the east. You will find several ditches which were built for preventing enemies from attacking the castle easily.

The location map of the castle ruins at the site

a route to the center, developed in the present time

An original route, but it breaks on the way

In particular, the one in front of the Lookout Tower was built by digging bedrock deeply, which looks very impressive. In addition, double entrances behind the ditch are surrounded by restored stone walls, and you can enter them after going across the earthen bridge over the ditch.

The miniature model of around the Lookout Tower, exhibited by Historic Site Kanayama Castle Guidance Facility

The tower above the entrance was rebuilt as an observation platform, where you can see great views of the city area and mountains around. This area must have been a pivot point of the castle.

The rebuilt tower as an observation platform

Looking down the entrance from the tower

Restored Main Entrance with Stone Walls and Paving

Next comes the main portion of the castle, called Mijo, which is divided by the Large Ditch, the largest one in the castle, and a small reservoir being covered with stone mounds, called Tsuki-no-ike or the Moon Pond.

The map of the main portion of the castle

Over the pond, you will see the outstanding Main Entrance in a valley, which are surrounded by great several tiered stone walls on both sides. The entrance also has stone paving with drainage ditches, so it looks like a European castle. These stone walls were recently restored by the officials based on the achievements of the excavations and studies, partially using the original stones.

The several tiered stone walls on the northern side of the valley

Seeing the southern side of the valley from the northern side

Seeing the Main Entrance from the inside

They were thought to be completed by the Hojo Clan, the final owner of the castle. This is because they were piled in a method called Agodome style (in which all the stones in the bottom row are layered heavily to prevent the walls from collapsing) which the clan used in Hachioji Castle, their other branch castle. However, the excavation team also found that the stone walls were improved many times, so other clans might have started to build them.

A part of the stone walls, having the Agodashi style

To be continued in “Kanayama Castle Part3”
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125.Kozukue Castle Part3

The ruins have become popular since the construction of the road.

Features

Parted Barbican

In fact, the ruins were partly destroyed and divided by the Daisan-Keihin Road. You can look at one of the barbicans over the road from the entrance of the Western Enclosure. You will have to go through the tunnel under the road to get there. The top of it is one of Fujizuka Mounds, called Fuji-sengen, made for worshiping Mt. Fuji since the Edo Period. It might had been a turret base before that. When you walk out of the ruins, you will get back to the city area right away.

The map around the castle

The Daisan-Keihin Road parting the ruins

Later History

After Kozukue Castle was abandoned, the local people have called the ruins Shiroyama or the Castle Mountain. The studies about the castle started as early as in the Edo Period. However, the ruins ironically became popular as a historic site since they were partly destroyed by the construction of the Daisan-keihin Road in 1963. Through that, Yokohama City launched the Kozukue Castle Ruins Forest to preserve them in 1977. People are now interested in what the castle was like in the past.

The ruins of Kozukue Castle and Daisan-Keihin Road

My Impression

I think Kozukue Castle is a good example of how to protect a castle with few defenders. I guess if a battle happened at Kozukue Castle when Hideyoshi invaded, this castle could survive at least over one night unlike Yamanaka Castle and Hachioji Castle.

The large dry moat in front of the Western Enclosure

How to get There

I recommend using a train when you visit the ruins because the park has no parking lot.
It takes about 15 minutes on foot from JR Kozukue Station on the Yokohama Line.

The castle ruins seen from the platform of Kozukue Station

The Yokohama-Kamiasao Road (Kanagawa Prefectural Road 12) goes near the station, so turn right at the Kozukue Station Intersection and go along the street. Then, turn right at the Kozukuetsuji Intersection.

Turn right at the Kozukuetsuji Intersection

Go along the street again, cross the railway and turn left at the first intersection.

Go along the street in the residential area, and when you find the signpost for the ruins on the utility pole on the right, turn right. You will eventually arrive at the entrance of the ruins.

Turn right when you find the signpost on the utility pole (inside the red circle)

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Kozukue Castle Part1”
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22.Hachioji Castle Part3

A castle which may be misundersood

Later History

After Hachioji Castle fell, the castle was abandoned. The ruins have been very well preserved as the Tokugawa Shogunate directly owned the land and did not allow people to access the area. The Japanese Government also considered the area as a national forest and did not allow for the removal of trees. The ruins were designated as a National Historic Site in 1951. Since then, Hachioji City has been investigating and developing them as a historical park.

My Impression

Hachioji City is a large city with a population of nearly 600,000. The city first started as the castle town for Hachioji Castle. I knew this fact, but I hadn’t visited the castle ruins until recently. Before that, I thought the ruins may not have been interesting because the castle fell in just one day. Since my visit, I now feel the castle could have escaped capture if it had enough commanders and soldiers.

The stone walls around the entrance of the Main Hall ruins

How to get There

If you want to visit there using public transportation:
Take the Nishi-Tokyo bus from the bus stop No.1 at the north entrance of JR Takao Station, and get off at the Reien-Mae, Hachioji-joato-Iriguchi bus stop.
If you want to visit there by car:
It is about 10 minutes away from Hachioji-Nishi IC on Metropolitan Inter-City Expressway.
The guidance facility offers a parking lot.

Links and References

・Hachioji Castle, Official Guide

That’s all.
Back to “Hachioji Castle Part1”
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