Wada Castle (Ina)
History
Ina-Wadajō was built by Tôyama Kagehiro, a local warlord and ally of Takeda Shingen who fought in many battles. His son, Tôyama Kagenao, became a vassal of Tokugawa Ieyasu and fought at the Battle of Ôsaka. The Tôyama Clan eventually fell from grace following in-fighting after the deaths of Kagenao and his successor in 1615; the Bakufu confiscated Tôyama holdings and Wadajō was converted into a temple, Ryūenji, the Tôyama Bodaiji (Clan Temple). The graves of clansmen can be found at the temple today.
Visit Notes
I could find no identifying ruins of Ina-Wadajō. I came here as part of a tour of faux castle structures. Tôyama Town Museum, also known as "Wada Castle", is the main attraction, and is built in the general shape of a castle tower. The structure, opened in 1990, should properly be considered a "castle-inspired structure" rather than a serious reconstruction attempt - similar to Komakijō's "keep"! Next to the museum building is the temple Ryūenji which was the site of the Wadajō's main bailey. Tôyama-gō (遠山郷) is apparently on the list of the most one hundred secluded regions in Japan (日本の秘境100選).
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Wada Castle (Ina) |
| Japanese Name | 伊那和田城 |
| Founder | Tôyama Kagehiro |
| Year Founded | Sengoku Period |
| Castle Type | Mountaintop |
| Castle Condition | Reconstructed main keep |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Main Keep Structure | 2 tiers; 3 floors |
| Year Reconstructed | 1990 |
| Artifacts | Mogi-Tenshu, Modern Ishigaki & Dobei |
| Features | main keep, stone walls, castle town |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Hiraoka Station on the Iida Line; 20 minute DRIVE |
| Visitor Information | Open 9am-4pm; closed Thursdays. Temple is Free. |
| Time Required | 60 minutes |
| Location | Iida, Nagano Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 35° 19' 15.49" N, 137° 56' 7.04" E |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2020 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
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