Matsuyama Castle (Saitama)

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Saimatsu5.jpg

History

Matsuyama Castle was built by Ueda Tomonao, a vassal of Uesugi Ougigayatsu. Matsuyama Castle became famous as a major focal point of the struggles between Uesugi and the Hojo. In 1537, the Hojo led a major force against Matsuyama Castle but they were unable to take it. They set the town on fire and abandoned the fight. In 1562, The Hojo again attacked in force. This time they called for assistance from Takeda Shingen. Takeda tried to dig a tunnel into the castle from which to secretly attack, but they hit a water reservoir and failed drowning many of the workers. This gave them the idea; however, to cut off the water supply by rupturing other reservoirs or diverting water from the castle's wells. Conditions within the castle grew serious as they ran out of water and on June 4, 1563, Uesugi Norikatsu gave up the castle, the same day that his reinforcements from Uesugi Kenshin arrived. Matsuyama flourished under the Ueda who ruled for the Hojo until 1590 when it was taken by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in his campaign against Odawara. After the Tokugawa moved to Edo, Matsuyama Castle was temporarily ruled by the Matsudaira until 1601 when it was decommissioned.


Visit Notes

If you look at the map of this castle you'll see it's a maze of connected moats surrounding several smaller baileys. Due to a lack of good signs and maps however, I unfortunately can't make detailed comments about the locations of each pictures so just enjoy them in conjunction with the Google Map to get a good feel for the castle.
松山の地図を見るとまるで迷路の用になっています。その間のたくさんの小さめの郭を設けているので攻めにくいに違いないと思います。残念名がらいい看板と地図が少ないのでそれぞれの写真に詳しいコメントを書くことができません。グーグルマップを参考にしながら写真をお楽しみください。


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Gallery
  • path to the Honkuruwa
  • Honkuruwa Bailey
  • dry moat
  • Dry moat
  • Dry moat
  • Dry moats and baileys
  • Bailey
  • Dry Moat
  • Dry moat
  • Dry moats and baileys
  • Dry moat and bailey
  • Dry moats and baileys
  • Dry moat and bailey
  • Dry moat and bailey
  • Fourth Kuruwa
  • Fourth Kuruwa
  • map


Castle Profile
English Name Matsuyama Castle (Saitama)
Japanese Name 松山城
Alternate Names Higashi-Matsuyama-jo
Founder Ueda Tomonao
Year Founded 1399
Castle Type Hilltop
Castle Condition Ruins only
Designations National Historic Site
Historical Period Pre Edo Period
Features trenches
Visitor Information
Access Higashi Matsuyama Sta. (Tobu Tojo Line); 20 min walk
Visitor Information
Time Required
Location Yoshimi, Saitama Prefecture
Coordinates 36° 2' 11.72" N, 139° 25' 14.70" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle 2011
Contributor Eric
Admin Year Visited 2010
Admin Visits November 11, 2010


4.00
(9 votes)
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RaymondWDaimyo

8 months ago
Score 0++

Eric, it’s good to hear that it’s been cleaned up, perhaps more than I went to this castle ruin in spring 2017. When I visited, the Main Bailey(本曲輪), Second Bailey, Third Bailey, and Fourth Bailey all have signposts on site, so castle fans visiting can know which bailey they are actually at. The interiors of these baileys were reasonably well kept with the grass cut low, so it almost resembled a lawn, something that can’t be said about many parks in Japan with nothing but just dirt.

This castle ruin has the potential to be a great earthwork castle ruin in Saitama if more of the undergrowth are cleared to reveal more of the castle earthworks, particularly the places where the ditches are located. If they do, it can become like Genbao Castle in Shiga, with earthen ramparts, gate ruins, and dry ditches to be enjoyed by castle fans. Actually, some of the ditches at Musashi-Matsuyama Castle are wider than the ditches at Genbao Castle, approaching what would constitute a moat.
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ARTShogun

9 months ago
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Often called Musashi Matsuyama Castle : p but also sometimes called Higashi Matsuyama (but that seems gimmicky to me), this is a castle i need to go back to. Looking at maps now... I must've barely explored it when i visited.
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EricShogun

9 months ago
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It's also been cleaned up more recently. I would love to go back again myself! Maybe for a future "stuck in Tokyo with nothing to do" kind of day I will hit this one again.
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ARTShogun

85 months ago
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One enters through a gateway which is a hall to Kannon built against the rock. The climb from here was tricky but fun, as a muddy stream ran down. Ascending I took a shortcut using tree roots as a set of ladders, after going through a heart-shaped hole in the rockface. Nearby are the 100 Caves of Yoshimi. It's a Kofun Period site but has general appeal, and is especially popular with children. I recommend going if you're doing the castle as it's very close.
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ARTShogun

85 months ago
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I went today, it was fairly well signposted.