Moto Castle (Chikuma)

History

Unknown. It is speculated that the castle's structure has been altered by landslides since its construction in the Sengoku period.

Visit Notes

The ruins of Chikuma-Motojō have become distorted with time and decay. It appears that landslides have significantly altered the shape of the castle mount. A thin ridge connects the upper and lower castle sites. The upper has no bailey, probably effaced by the movements of the mountain, but has an intriguing complex of trenches, earthen ramparts and dry moats protecting the rear of the castle. The lower castle has large earthen ramparts which partially ensconce two principal baileys, with a third smaller bailey situated beneath them. Yet there are no trenches here. Beneath this area there is a flat area without defences which forms part of a wide ridge. Where was the main bailey of this castle? Why do the larger flattened areas have the least defences? It’s quite the mystery, but historic landslides would be one solution to the problem. Some smaller ditches can be found at the base of the mountain with old fence posts driven into the piled earth above. This looks like a mini castle ruin, but in fact it represents old defences erected by villagers to repel wild animals like boars and bears.

Gallery

dorui

Castle Profile
English Name	Chikuma Moto Castle
Japanese Name	筑摩本城
Founder	???
Year Founded	???
Castle Type	Mountaintop
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Artifacts	Dorui, Horikiri, Karabori
Features	trenches
Visitor Information
Access	Nearest station is Hirôka Station on the Shinonoi Line
Visitor Information	24/7 free; mountain
Time Required	60 minutes
Location	Shiojiri, Nagano Prefecture
Coordinates	36° 8' 30.88" N, 138° 0' 36.07" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2021
Contributor	ART
Admin Year Visited	Viewer Contributed

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