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

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”
Back to “Kozukue Castle Part2”

125.Kozukue Castle Part2

Another world in Yokohama City

Features

Ruins planted with Bamboo Forest

Today, the ruins of Kozukue Castle are preserved by Yokohama City as a park called the Kozukue Castle Ruins Forest. Yokohama City has the largest population among the cities in Japan except for Tokyo Special Ward, with about 3.8 million citizens. Even the hilly area around the ruins is covered with lots of modern facilities, office buildings and residences. However, once you walk into the ruins, you may feel like you are in another world. The hill for the ruins is basically planted with a beautiful and well-maintained bamboo forest. The foundation of the castle also remains under the forest.

The map around the castle

You can climb up on the well-developed trail from the foot of the hill called Nekoya.

Large-scale Dry Moat

You will soon reach the top of the outer earthen walls and see the large-scale dry moat in front of the enclosures. This dry moat is still about 13m in width and about 12m in depth. It must have been much deeper in the past. When the excavation team recently dug the bottom of another dry moat in the castle at over 2m, they still could not find its original bottom.

The trail goes on the outer earthen walls at the same level as the top of the moat, but you can also go down to the bottom from some points where the slope of the moat is gentle. If you stand at the bottom looking up, you might find another perspective of the castle.

The trail going on the outer earthen walls

One of the points where you can go down to the bottom of the moat

Eastern Enclosure under Excavation

If you walk around the outer earthen walls to the right, you will reach the Eastern Enclosure which is also called the Second Enclosure at the site. The excavation is also ongoing at the center of the enclosure, where some buildings were built in the past.

You can also climb up to the high turret earthen base at the edge of the enclosure, where you can look down the dry moat around it from the top.

A view of the dry moat around the enclosure from the base

The trail around the enclosure goes to the bottom of the moat. You will find the beautiful bamboo forest around the enclosure again when you walk on the trail.

Western Enclosure used as Sports Square

If you walk around the outer earthen walls to the left or walk over the Connecting Enclosure from the Eastern Enclosure, you will reach the Western Enclosure which is also called the Main Enclosure at the site. The inside of it is a flat square, so it is used for sports like baseball now. An altered gate called Kabuki-mon was built at the entrance of it to look like the Main Enclosure. However, in fact, historians have been arguing for over 150 years if this enclosure was really the main one. Some of them think the Eastern Enclosure was main. The excavation may find the correct answer in the future.

You can go there by turning left at the first intersection

Or walking over the Connecting Enclosure from the Second Enclosure

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

125.Kozukue Castle Part1

The castle in the center of the popular Kozukue Territory

Location and History

Castle along one of Kamakura Roads

Kozukue Castle was located in what is now the northern hilly area in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture. In the present Japan, Tokyo is the center of Japan including the Kanto Region. For that reason, many major roads gather in or spread from Tokyo. Some of them also go through the eastern seaside area of Yokohama City. However, before the Edo Period which started in the 17th Century, the center of the Kanto Region was Kamakura, called the Warriors’ Capital. Many major roads, called the Kamakura Roads, at that time also gathered in or spread from Kamakura. Kozukue Castle was near one of the Kamakura Roads and alongside Tsurumi-gawa River, which was an important spot for transportation.

The location of the castle

The present road network of the Kanto Region going to and from Tokyo (Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)

The past road network of the Kanto Region going to and from Kamakura (Source: Tama City, adding the positions of Kozukue Castle and Kamakura)

“Kozukue Territory” and “Kozukue Group”

It is uncertain when Kozukue Castle was first built. The first appearance of the castle was after the Rebellion of Kageharu Nagao, who was against his master, the Uesugi Clan in 1478. The Toshima Clan who supported Kageharu used the castle, and Dokan Ota, a senior vassal of the Uesugi Clan beat them. After a while, the Hojo Clan, a great warlord used the castle again as a bridgehead for invading the Kanto Region in the 16th Century during the Sengoku Period. Even after the Hojo Clan was succeeded, they still considered the area around the castle as one of their important territories. They called the area “Kozukue Territory” like we call the area today, Yokohama City. They also called the group of the warriors who lived in the area “Kozukue Group”. Kozukue Castle was the center of the area and the group, and one of Hojo’s branch castles, which must have been more popular than we assume.

The portrait of Dokan Ota, owned by Daijiji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The portrait of Ujitsuna Hojo, the lord of the clan when they invaded the Kanto Region, owned by Odawara Castle (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Castle has Simple Layout

Kozukue Castle was built on the edge of a hill sticking out from the south towards Tsurumi-gawa River to the north. The layout of the castle was simple, having the large Western and Eastern Enclosures, divided by the slender Connecting Enclosure. They were all made of soil. However, these enclosures were surrounded by large deep dry moats. What kinds of buildings stood on the enclosures is still uncertain, but it is thought that some turrets were built on the earthen bases. In addition, some barbicans were built along the hill around the main portion.

The relief map around the castle

The imaginary drawing of Kozukue Castle (from the signboard at the site, adding comments)

Development and Abolition of Castle

In 1590, when the ruler, Hideyoshi Toyotomi invaded Hojo’s territory for his unification of Japan, Hojo ordered their branch castles to gather the warriors to their home base, Odawara Castle. That meant the branch castles including Kozukue Castle had to protect themselves with fewer defenders. The lord of Kozukue Castle decided to draft farmers to protect it. It is thought that the dry moats of the castle were also developed making them larger and deeper to protect the castle with fewer warriors and untrained defenders. This is what we can now see as the ruins of the castle. However, no battles happened then. The castle was open and finally abandoned after Hojo surrendered to Hideyoshi.

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

To be continued in “Kozukue Castle Part2”