Moriya Castle

History

There are various theories about the start of this castle and the history itself is not well known. The most likely theory is that it was built by Chiba Morotsuna of the powerful Chiba clan. After moving to this region, called Soma, he took on the name Soma and the castle was named Soma Castle. During Hideyoshi's siege of Odawara, Asano Nagamasa attacked the Soma and took the castle. When Tokugawa Ieyasu moved to Edo, he put Toki Sadamasa in charge of the Soma lands. The castle was decommissions in 1628.

Visit Notes

This is a short walk from Moriya Sta and worth a visit if you are in the area. You could also visit nearby Takai Castle. I had actually planned to visit this as an extension of my Ushiku Castle cycling trip but got a flat tire on the way to Takai Castle and had to visit it another time. The castle itself was originally built on a small peninsula into the swamp giving it much natural protection. See this site for a good illustration. Much of the swamp has since been filled in and developed over.
守谷駅から約２０分で歩いて行けます。気が向いたら高井城まで歩くこともできます。元々は牛久城から自転車のサイクリング城め巡りで行く予定でしたが、途中でパンクしてしまって断念してしまって、高井城で断念しました。

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Gallery

Trench and modern day entrance
Outer embankment
Outer embankment
Trench between the main bailey and second bailey
Bailey
Small bailey before the main bailey, could be an umadashi entrance
Bridge over the main bailey trench
Embankment of the main bailey
Outer embankment
Embankment of the main bailey
Main Bailey
Main bailey & embankment
Castle entrance
Castle entrance
Cross section of an embankment
Water filled these channels around the castle
Map

Castle Profile
English Name	Moriya Castle
Japanese Name	守谷城
Alternate Names	Soma Castle
Founder	Chiba Morotsune
Year Founded	Kamakura Period
Castle Type	Flatland
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Designations	Local Historic Site
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Features	trenches
Visitor Information
Access	Moriya Sta (Tsukuba Express line); 20 min walk
Visitor Information	park, open any time
Time Required	40 mins
Website	http://www.city.moriya.ibaraki.jp/tanoshimu/rekisibunka/bunkazai/shiteibunkazai/syokai/ichiriduka.html
Location	Moriya, Ibaraki Prefecture
Coordinates	35° 57' 1.62" N, 140° 0' 19.62" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2017
Admin Year Visited	2017
Admin Visits	September 3, 2017

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