Kawahara Castle
History
Takeda Takanobu built Kawaharajō as a satellite fortification of Ōfurisodeyamajō. In 1580, Kawaharajō was in territory controlled by Yamana Toyokuni from Tottorijō. At this time Tottorijō was conquered by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the forces stationed at Kawaharajō fled when they heard the news, abandoning the fort to nature.
Visit Notes
Kawaharajō has the remains of unebori and horikiri (trenches), but when I visited they were too overgrown to even approach. The remains of wooden pillars that supported structures have been unearthed here. In the main bailey a symbolic tower has been constructed but this is a faux reconstruction as no such structure ever existed at this site. Kawaharajō is properly called Maruyamajō and was known as such, but due to several other castle sites in the region also being called Maruyamajō, this castle is now known chiefly as Kawaharajō. The castle tower functions as a folk museum and observation platform. From here you can see Tottorijō's great stone ramparts. The tenshukaku (tower) was built in 1994.
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Kawahara Castle |
| Japanese Name | 河原城 |
| Alternate Names | Maruyamajō |
| Founder | Toyotomi Hideyoshi |
| Year Founded | 1580 |
| Castle Type | Hilltop |
| Castle Condition | Reconstructed main keep |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Main Keep Structure | 5 floors |
| Year Reconstructed | 1994 |
| Artifacts | Mogi-Tenshu, Unebori, Horikiri, Kuruwa |
| Features | main keep, trenches, stone walls, walls |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Tottori Sta. (San'in Line), 20 min taxi or 25 min bus |
| Visitor Information | |
| Time Required | |
| Website | http://www.kawahara-shiro.com |
| Location | Tottori, Tottori Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 35° 24' 13.75" N, 134° 11' 58.16" E |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2017 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
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