Suwahara Castle

History

Suwahara Castle was founded by Takeda Katsuyori in 1573 along with nearby Koyama Castle to further his campaigns against Tokugawa in the West. In 1575, Tokugawa used the momentum from his win against the Takeda at Nagashino to conquer Suwahara Castle too. Suwahara Castle was renamed Makino Castle and used as the Tokugawa's base of operations against the Takeda in this area including the battle for Takatenjin Castle in 1581. After Tokugawa moved to the Kanto area (Tokyo), Suwahara Castle was no longer needed and was abandoned in 1590. Suwahara Castle is considered a great example of Takeda castle construction. It has steep natural cliffs on one side that open up onto a flat plain that is protected by several moats and maru umadashi style entrances.

Visit Notes

This castle is a favorite among castle fans and I can see why. Nearly all the castle grounds are well preserved. There are many deep moats and you can easily imagine what this kind of Sengoku Period mountaintop castle was like. Part of the old Tokaido Road runs near the castle so take a walk along the old stone paved road and around the fields of tea bushes. I suggest you stop by the tourist information center at Kanaya Station before you go out. They have maps of several trails through the area that you can enjoy.

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Gallery

Round Umadashi Entrance
no.4 moat
no.9 moat
no.12 moat
no.12 moat
no.4 moat
Earthen bridge between the #4 and #2 moats.
Round Umadashi Entrance
Ninomaru
Earthen bridge and moat
Honmaru bailey
tenshu foundation
no.6 moat
Sannomaru bailey
no.4 moat
Dry Moat
Stone paved Tokaido Road
map
Yakuimon Gate, reconstructed 2016

Castle Profile
English Name	Suwahara Castle
Japanese Name	諏訪原城
Alternate Names	Makino-jo
Founder	Takeda Katsuyori
Year Founded	1573
Castle Type	Mountaintop
Castle Condition	No main keep but other buildings
Designations	Next 100 Castles, National Historic Site
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Artifacts	Yakuimon (reconstructed in 2016)
Features	gates, trenches
Visitor Information
Access	Kanaya Sta. (Tokaido Line); 20 min walk
Visitor Information
Time Required
Location	Kikugawa, Shizuoka Prefecture
Coordinates	34° 49' 3.54" N, 138° 7' 12.50" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2010
Contributor	Eric
Admin Year Visited	2010
Admin Visits	October 11, 2010

3.20

(5 votes)

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ARTShogun

50 months ago

Score 0

Added reconstructed gate under artifacts tab

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ARTShogun

73 months ago

Score 1

Added reconstructed gate

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ARTShogun

89 months ago

Score 1

Suwaharajō is a Sengoku period mountaintop castle ruin with many impressive Karabori (dry moats) crossed by dobashi (earthen bridges). The scale and depth of the moats is enthralling to behold. I entered the trail head at the foot of the mountain but it was so overgrown that I got lost and ended up at the bottom of one of the huge trenches – number 16 to be precise. I climbed the steep moat wall which was possible only due to the abundance of trees and emerged in the honmaru / honkuruwa (main bailey), from there exploring the whole site. At the entrances of the castle broad U-shaped semi-circula moats project outward. One of the dobashi between the ninokuruwa nan-umadashi and the sotobori (outer moat) was incredibly narrow with a perilous incline on either side. Probably it was worn down with age but it was hard to imagine leading a horse along let alone fighting on it.

A newly reconstructed – from last year I think – yakuimon gate is located in the ninokuruwa kita-umadashi. It is the lone structure at the site and is a peculiar spectacle up there all by itself. A shrine to Suwa is located in a grove in the ninokuruwa ōte-umadashi. It is also a recent construction by the looks of it but a shrine dedicated to the god, tutelary deity of the Takeda Clan, was present from the founding of the castle.

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Jcastle.oldHatamoto

130 months ago

Score 0

Here's the article for anyone who missed it:

http://www.a...2143424.html

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RaymondWDaimyo

130 months ago

Score 0

Eric, thanks for posting the info about the gate reconstruction. It looks like it will be at one end of the northernmost umadashi. That spot should have a good view of Mt. Fuji. That particular umadashi was closed to visitors when I visited Suwahara Castle Ruin a few years ago. Look forward to revisiting and seeing the reconstructed Yakuinmon style gate in a few years.

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RaymondWDaimyo

155 months ago

Score 0

For fans of earlier and more “primitive’ yamashiros (mountaintop castles) which predates the larger Fushimi-Momoyama and Edo Period castles with tons of stone walls and massive castle keeps, this castle ruin is a very good one to visit. The castle designer made excellent use of the natural terrain. It has some of the deepest dry moats that I have seen at a yamashiro. The deepest ones, No.15 and No.16 on the eastern side are 60 metres from the bottom of the moat to the rim of the Honmaru (Main Bailey), and the ones on the western and southern sides are between 13 and 15 metres deep. These dry moats, in total 17, ring the whole castle with around two-thirds of them on the western and southern sides of the castle ruin. For fans of the Takeda Clan, and people who like to do a little bushwalking, this is a fine ruin to visit and easily be reached from JR Kanaya Station (2 to 3 trains an hour on weekends) in around 20 minutes walking uphill. I went with my girlfriend, and we were both impressed with its design. We also got lucky with the fine weather and could clearly see Mt. Fuji in the distance from one corner of the Honmaru overlooking the No.15 and No.16 moats. The current archaeological digging has moved on from the Ninomaru (Second Bailey), as shown in one of the photos on this website, to an area on the opposite side of the No.4 moat between the massive Northern Umadashi and the No.11 moat and area of the former stables. For me, I give this castle ruin two stars mainly for its impressive dry moats, the superb view of Mt. Fuji, its wooded surroundings, and the nearby old Tokaido (Tokai Road). I can see how for other castle fans, who prefer to see more fortified stone and wooden structures, would rate this castle ruin at 1 star or less.

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Anonymous user #1

166 months ago

Score 0

This castle ruins is currently under archeological excavation and a fascinating site to visit. It is an easy drive from Kakegawa castle. If you are lucky you may speak to the hard working excavation team who say it will be another 15 years before the castle is restored. Amazing views of Fuji can be seen on the roads all around this site.

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