Kitatsumeno Fort

History

Kitatsumeno-toride is believed to have been used as a satellite fortification of Minowajō under the Nagano Clan but its origins are unclear. It is presumed that after the Battle of Wakadahara, in which Nagano Narimori lost to Takeda forces and retreated to Minowajō to rally his troops, Kitatsumeno-toride was occupied by the enemy. Minowajō would subsequently fall to Takeda forces and it is thought that Kitatsumeno-toride was abandoned after the death of Nagano Narimori. A samurai called Kitatsume was killed during the siege of Minowajō, and it is thought that he was the castellan of Kitatsumeno-toride.

Visit Notes

Little remains of Kitatsumeno-toride except for a former moat which is now used for narrow rice paddies. I followed this moat, which is set back and below fields and orchards which constitute the interior site of the fort, down to a small river, a tributary of the Ino River, which was used as the fort’s southern moat. This entire western outer moat segment can be followed and discerned down its length where it runs between houses and fields, but the rest of the castle site is buried under housing. Initially I failed to find anything, looking in the middle of the fort site where the inner moat was rather than at its western edge, but looking at satellite imagery I was able to discern the outer moat remains from above. There are no signs pointing to the castle ruins, and they are well-hidden. To the west of Kitatsumeno-toride was Kitāranami-toride, which is well preserved, and to the north was Yajimano-toride, of which nothing remains.

For related sites see Minowa Castle and Kitaaranami Fort.

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Gallery

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  Dry moat with embankment
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Castle Profile
English Name	Kitatsumeno Fort
Japanese Name	北爪ノ砦
Founder	Nagano Clan; Kitatsume Clan
Year Founded	Sengoku Period
Castle Type	Flatland
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Artifacts	Hori
Features	water moats, trenches
Visitor Information
Access	Kita-Takasaki Station on the Shin’Etsu Main Line; 50 minute walk.
Visitor Information	24/7; Free; Fields
Time Required	20 minutes
Location	Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture
Coordinates	36° 21' 51.16" N, 138° 58' 34.21" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2022
Contributor	ART
Admin Year Visited	Viewer Contributed
Friends of JCastle
Kojōshi
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