Kawamura Castle

History

Records for Kawamura Castle date back to the late Heian Period, but it is not known exactly when the castle was built. In 1353 the Kawamura were defeated by Hatakeyama Kunikiyo and several different lords ruled over the castle until it came under the control of the Odawara Hojo. The Hojo fortified the castle into what you see today. The unebori, or raised ridges, you see on some of the moats are typical Hojo devices. Kawamura Castle was an important fortification in the their network of castles that faced off against Takeda Shingen. The castle fell to Hideyoshi in the Battle of Odawara in 1590 and was abandoned.

The unebori, ridged moats, at Kawamura Castle are incredible. Nearly all the trenches have them. If you zoom in on the Google map you can even see them in the satellite imagery. These ridges make it more difficult to traverse the trenches. If they fill with water, even more so.

Visit Notes

In the southwest corner of the Honjo Bailey (本城郭) , deep left as you enter it, there is a path leading to several other baileys and horikiri trenches. The trail itself is not marked so it's easy to miss it. Don't blindly go on to the bridge but visit this section first. It's highly recommended. Yamakita Station is also famous for cherry blossoms. Try to visit in the spring if you can.
馬出郭、西曲郭、北郭などへの道案内がないので見逃しやすいです。ご注意ください。本城郭に入る時の左の奥にあります。木橋を渡る前に訪れた方がいいでしょう。山北駅は桜も有名なので桜の季節に行くといいでしょう。

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Gallery

Chausu Bailey unebori moat
Path to the Chausu Bailey
Unebori moat
Path to the Honjo Bailey
Unebori Moat
Unebori viewed from above
Chausu Bailey
Unebori between the Small Bailey and the Honjo Bailey
Honjo Bailey
Honjo Bailey
View from the Honjo Bailey
Unebori moat
Umadashi Bailey
Horikiri
West Bailey
North Bailey
Horikiri Moat after the North Bailey
Small bailey
Horikiri and bridge
Horikiri and bridge
Honjo Bailey
Kondo Bailey under construction
Kondo Bailey and horikiri
Kura Bailey
Kondo Bailey
Ohniwa Bailey
Extension from the Ohniwa Bailey
Trail entering the castle
View
Map

Castle Profile
English Name	Kawamura Castle
Japanese Name	河村城
Founder	Kawamura
Year Founded	late Heian Period (794-1185)
Castle Type	Mountaintop
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Designations	Prefectural Historic Site
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Features	trenches
Visitor Information
Access	Yamakita Sta. (Gotenba Line), 10 min walk
Visitor Information	Hiking trails open any time.
Time Required	75 mins
Website	http://www.town.yamakita.kanagawa.jp/contents detail.php?co=cat&frmId=1056&frmCd=1-9-5-0-0
Location	Yamakita, Kanagawa Prefecture
Coordinates	35° 21' 20.81" N, 139° 4' 37.74" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2014
Admin Year Visited	2014
Admin Visits	April 13, 2014

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