Matsudaira
Kawagoe Castle
川越城
| Founder | Ota Doshin |
| Year | 1457 |
| Type | Hilltop |
| Condition | Ruins |
| Rating | ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ |
| Historical Site | Prefectural Historic Site |
| Historical Value | Top 100 Castles |
| Location | Kawagoe, Saitama Pref |
| Map | Google Map |
| Access | Kawagoe Sta, Tobu Tojo Line, 20 min by tourist bus |
| Website | Kawagoe City |
| Visited | March 25, 2006 |
| Notes | The only real remnants of the castle are the lord's palace, but it is well worth the trip because there are very few extant palaces. You can also spend the day exploring other historical sites in Kawagoe. |
| History |
Kawagoe Castle was founded in 1457 by Ota Doshin and his son Dokan under the order of Uesugi Mochitomo. In 1546 it was taken over by the Hojo until it fell again to Hideyoshi as part of his attack on Odawara and the Hojo. When the Tokugawa established their base of power at Edo (Tokyo), Kawagoe Castle functioned as an important defensive position for Edo. The city of Kawagoe likewise prospered as an important logistical hub for the transportation of food and other goods to and from Tokyo. This focus on logistics and trade also led to the abundance of storehouse style buildings you can still see today. In this old part of town you can also get a feeling for an Edo Period castle town |
Viewer Comments
(1) | Post CommentIf you're a Shiro-lover like me, this is a good castle to go to because of its Honmaru palace. the only thing that exists besides this is a mound on which a Yagura stood.
March 16, 2008 at 06:22 PM