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Guide to Japanese Castles

Hamamatsu Castle

浜松城

donjon
     
Alternate Name Hikuma-jo
Founder Tokugawa Ieyasu
Year 1570
Reconstructed 1958 (concrete)
Type Hilltop
Structure 3 levels, 3 stories
Condition Reconstructed
Admin's Rating ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Location Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture
Map Google Map
Access Hamamatsu Station (Tokaido Honsen), 15-20 walk, or short bus ride
Website Hamamatsu City
Visited May 1999
Notes The castle is in a quiet little park a short bus ride from the station. I visited this castle on one trip from Fukushima to Nagoya. On the same day I also stopped at Odawara and Kakegawa before going to Hamamatsu.
History

A castle was first built on this site around 1532 by a vassal of the Imagawa clan. This castle was called Hikuma-jo. In 1568 Tokugawa Ieyasu conquered the castle and in 1570 he moved his permanent headquarters here from Okazaki-jo . In 1577 Tokugawa renovated and expanded the castle, renaming it Hamamatsu-jo. Ieyasu spent 17 years here and engaged in some of his most well known battles from this castle.

While the donjon of Hamamatsu-jo is a reconstruction, the stone palisade it stands on is the original one built by Tokugawa Ieyasu. This palisade is built in an old style called nozura-zumi which refers to the way the stones are fit together.

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Viewer Comments

(3) | Post Comment
  • furinkazan on My Page    June 13, 2010 at 05:29 AM
    I was a little disappointed by this castle. The location isn't very nice and the armors inside are replicas.
  • furinkazan    August 04, 2009 at 01:02 AM
    I visited this castle in april, just after visiting Kakegawajo and Sunpupark. I was a little bit disappointed by this one. It is a concrete reconstruction which, in mine opinion, is a negative point, and the sight from and around the castle isn't very pleasing. It is easy to walk to the castle from the station. There are signs indicating the way.
  • malik    April 15, 2008 at 10:44 PM
    this is awsome dud