Ken Castle (Kozuke)
History
Kenjō was built at the start of the Kamakura Period (late 12th century) by the Hiki Clan. This medieval fortification site is known chiefly from archaeological excavation. It was a simple fort surrounded by dorui (earthen ramparts) and a moat. There was one entranceway. It is thought that Nagao Kagetoshi occupied the castle in the late 15th century.
Visit Notes
When this little blip popped up on my castle radar what attracted me to it was the name, Kenjō, or "Sword Castle". Maybe this seems like a good name for a castle, but it's a little odd. For a start, single character names of castles are not so common (an exception would be Oshijō (忍城)), and one would assume that it should be read as Tsurugijō, which would sound better (kun'yomi and on'yomi go together more readily if the latter is a suffix). Well, anyway, the site is fields and housing developments next to a railway line. There is nothing to see of the castle except a crude wooden post with the castle's enigmatic name written on it - as well as what looks like a botched attempt at a double swirl pattern. So, it was amusing to stop by here at dusk - as you can see I used flash photography - at the end of the day, but I wouldn't recommend coming here. Now, apparently they've done some archaeological work here. There's some treasure associated with the site, a type of gong which was unearthed here, and which is now kept at a nearby temple and designated as important cultural property. We couldn't see that but it's probably infinitely more interesting than the castle site itself.
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Ken Castle (Kozuke) |
| Japanese Name | 上野剣城 |
| Alternate Names | 半田剣城 |
| Founder | Hiki Clan; Nagao Kagetoshi |
| Year Founded | Late 12th Century; Late 15th Century |
| Castle Type | Fortified Manor |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Features | |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Yagihara Station on the Jouetsu Line; 10 minute walk |
| Visitor Information | Free; 24/7; Field |
| Time Required | 10 minutes |
| Location | Shibukawa, Gunma Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 36° 27' 28.84" N, 139° 1' 12.22" E |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2021 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Shirobito | |
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