Sakurasawa Fort
History
The history of this site is obscure. The fort is thought to have been built by Kiso Yoshimasa in the Sengoku Period. Given its small scale, it was likely only used as a look-out position.
Visit Notes
There is a semi-circular stone wall half way up the ridge here known as Sakurasawa-toride. 'Toride' refers to a small fort. I was quite confused because the bailey is only very small, and there is no protection to the rear. I climbed further up the ridge but there's no obvious ruins up here, although it does flatten out somewhat before sweeping further up. The wall, or parapet, seems partially formed through piling, but also partially cut into bare rock. There is some terracing toward the bottom of the ridge, but this may not be related to the fort. The site is very mysterious. Due to its small scale, the fort was likely only an observation post.
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Sakurasawa Fort |
| Japanese Name | 桜沢砦 |
| Founder | Kiso Yoshimasa |
| Year Founded | Sengoku Period |
| Castle Type | Mountaintop |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Artifacts | Ishigaki, Monomidai |
| Features | stone walls |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Hideshio Station on the Chuo West Line; 15 minute walk |
| Visitor Information | Free; 24/7; Mountain |
| Time Required | 30 minutes |
| Location | Shiojiri, Nagano Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 36° 2' 11.51" N, 137° 53' 2.36" E |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2020 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Onodenkan | |
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