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History
Maruyama-rui is said to have been the residence of Sanada Nobutada (though he was not known by that name at the time), a vassal of the Takeda Clan. Although the castellan is not known for sure (the surviving name 'Okidono' is associated with Sanada Nobutada), Maruyama-rui functioned as a satellite fortification of Shinpujō, sitting on an independent hill to the east. A large moat was dug between this fort and Shinpujō.
For more information see Shinpu Castle.
Visit Notes
Maruyama-rui ('rui', referring to piled earthen ramparts, refers to a small fort) is an expert tier site for castle explorers. I ascended to the top of the hill from the north. I didn't find any ruins here and the slope was gentle, although the summit was flattened into an oval shape. The ruins are said to exist to the south. I tried to go that way but there was no path and there were lots of trees. In the end I came across a terrace. This looked like a forestry road (and later on I saw it bending so certainly it was). But on either side were some ditches. These ditches ran laterally across the hillside and I came across many bands, the lower ones being quite deep. I lost count but there were six or seven ditches (karabori?) along the whole hillside. Because of all of the bushes and bamboo I couldn't explore their whole length. I'd planned to continue poking around the site in the south where other castle bloggers said they found dorui (earthen ramparts), but the only way I could find which was possibly accessible, everywhere being tall grasses and tangles of vines, had an elderly couple tending to their orchard and I felt uncertain about explaining my intentions to them, so I just stopped there; the whole site is overgrown and a full exploration would be very tough-going. Before I left I noticed a lot of work being done in the small valley which leads to the large moat at the foot of the Shinpujō castle-mount, so I hope none of the ruins have been disturbed there...
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Maruyama Fort (Kai) |
| Japanese Name | 甲斐丸山塁 |
| Founder | Takeda Katsuyori; Sanada Nobutada |
| Year Founded | 1581 |
| Castle Type | Hilltop |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Artifacts | Dorui, Karabori |
| Features | trenches |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Shinpu Station on the Chūō Main Line; 5 minute walk to hill |
| Visitor Information | 24/7 free; mountain |
| Time Required | 30 minutes |
| Location | Nirasaki, Yamanashi Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 35° 44' 17.27" N, 138° 25' 42.71" E |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2022 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Kojōshi | |
| Jōkakuzukan | |
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