Takamatsuyakushi Castle
History
Established by the Maruyama Clan, Takamatsuyakushijō worked alongside Saruǵajō (Chikuma Saruga Castle).
Visit Notes
Following the trail in Iwasū Park brings one to a towering ridge of stacked boulders. On top of this are the ruins of Takamatsuyakushijō, also called Yokodanijō. A trail to the right by-passes the ruins completely. The castle explorer would sensibly follow this trail and back-track to reach the ruins. I opted to climb up the rocks. Well, a bit of rock climbing in the mountains never hurt anyone! I quickly came to the ruins with only slight risk of death by misstep. The ruins are sign-posted! Features like karabori (dry moats) and a place for keeping horses are noted. The layout of the castle follows the natural contours of the mountain ridge with augmentations made by digging trenches and flattening land. The area of the castle is not so large. Following the ridge down will bring one eventually to Saruǵajō.
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Takamatsuyakushi Castle |
| Japanese Name | 高松薬師城 |
| Alternate Names | 横谷城 |
| Founder | Maruyama Clan |
| Year Founded | Medieval Era |
| Castle Type | Mountaintop |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Artifacts | Karabori, Kuruwa |
| Features | trenches |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Akashina Station on the Shinonoi Line; 12 minute drive or 80 minute walk to trail head |
| Visitor Information | 24/7; Free; Mountain |
| Time Required | 20 minutes |
| Location | Ikusaka, Nagano Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 36° 23' 41.93" N, 137° 57' 27.00" E |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2021 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
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