Iwakiri Castle

History

Iwakiri Castle was founded in the 14th C. by the Rusu clan, who had changed their name from the Isawa clan. Iwakiri Castle is just about 4km from Taga Castle and at the crossroad of several roads. It was a prosperous region as several markets sprung up due to the to these highways and good fishing ports nearby. The Rusu ruled over the area from this castle until 1570 when they relocated to the nearby Rifu Castle. In the over 200 years that the castle existed, it was kept by the Rusu Clan. The ultimate rulers of the region changed many times over these years, ending with the Date clan. Rusu Masakage became a top general of Date Masamune and would eventually become lord of Mizusawa Castle.

Visit Notes

Iwakiri Castle is a sprawling mountaintop castle mainly covering three ridges of the mountain. It offers some nice views of the surrounding plains. The castle itself has few ruins but you can find some horikiri trenches and baileys. The ridge along the paved path to the top of the mountain is particularly interesting. I probably would have missed it if I hadn't had a good map with me. It should be clear from the pins of photos on the map below what I'm referring to. Find a place to climb up to the top of the ridge on your left and backtrack along it to see the full length. The castle was quite a bit farther from the station than I imagined (~40 mins walk) and up a rather steep mountain so plan accordingly.

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Gallery

Castle Profile
English Name	Iwakiri Castle
Japanese Name	岩切城
Alternate Names	Takamori-jo
Founder	Isawa Clan
Year Founded	14th C.
Castle Type	Mountaintop
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Designations	Top 100 Mountaintop Castles, National Historic Site
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Features	trenches
Visitor Information
Access	Iwakiri Station (Tohoku line); 40 min walk
Visitor Information	mountain park, open any time
Time Required	75 mins
Website	http://www.city.sendai.jp/ryokuchihozen/mesho100sen/ichiran/046.html
Location	Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture
Coordinates	38° 18' 48.31" N, 140° 56' 24.00" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2021
Contributor	Eric
Admin Year Visited	2020
Admin Visits	November 1, 2020
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