Fusou Castle (Mikawa)

History

Fusōjō was constructed by Udono Naganari. In 1562 the clan was split into fighting factions over whether to forsake the Imagawa Clan and join Matsudaira Motoyasu (Tokugawa Ieyasu) following the battle of Okehazama in 1560 (the loss to the Oda Clan caused Imagawa power to wan). Fusōjō joined Kaminogōjō in resistance to the Matsudaira, and was put to siege. The defenders fled to Imabashijō (Yoshida Castle), abandoning Fusōjō, and it was destroyed. The Matsudaira successfully pushed back the Imagawa as a result of this battle. Udono Naganari fought for nine months at the siege of Imabashijō in 1565. The castle, an Imagawa stonghold under Ohara Shigezane, was surrendered, and Udono Naganari actually joined Matsudaira forces thereafter, perhaps feeling that by participating in the siege his obligations to the Imagawa were finally at an end.

Visit Notes

Fusōjō is a mountaintop fort site of which no ruins remain. The large hill, which overlooks the coastal town of Gamagôri and Mikawa Bay, is now the site of the Gamagôri Classic Hotel (formerly called 'Prince Hotel'), the main building of which was constructed in 1934 in a style inspired by castle architecture. The hotel structure is an original building and not intended as any sort of reconstruction, and materials put out by the hotel on its history (it is officially designated an important cultural property) make absolutely no mention of the medieval fort.

Of course, castle fans can't help but be charmed by the hotel. I even popped inside for a quick look. A man in a velvet top hat held the door open for me. Very classy!

The very peak of the hill is behind the hotel. It's a hillock in the middle of a gravel carpark, and a large pine stands atop of it. This is where the castle pilgrim comes to visit the former site of Fusōjō.

Gallery

Gamagohri Classic Hotel
Site of main bailey? Flattened peak of hill.
View of bay
Large tree at hilltop of the old castle mount

Castle Profile
English Name	Fusou Castle (Mikawa)
Japanese Name	三河不相城
Founder	Udono Naganari
Year Founded	Before 1561
Castle Type	Mountaintop
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Features
Visitor Information
Access	Gamagôri Station on the Meitetsu-Gamagôri and Tōkaidō Main lines; 20 minute walk
Visitor Information	24/7 free
Time Required	15 minutes
Website	https://gamagori-classic-hotel.com/
Location	Gamagôri, Aichi Prefecture
Coordinates	34° 48' 59.11" N, 137° 14' 8.09" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2023
Contributor	ART
Admin Year Visited	Viewer Contributed
Friends of JCastle
Jōkaku Shashin Kiroku
Umoreta Kojō
Jōkaku Hōrōki
Shiseki Yawa

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