Numata Castle

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Numata4.jpg

History

Numata Castle was originally founded by Numata Akiyasu in 1532. Under the orders of Takeda Katsuyori, Sanada Masayuki took Numata Castle in 1580. The following year the Numata clan perished when they tried to take back the castle. The Numata area was much fought over between the Sanada and the Hojo. In 1589, Hideyoshi ended the dispute by giving Numata Castle to the Hojo and Nagurumi Castle to the Sanada. The Hojo lord of Numata Castle, Inomata Kuninori, was not satisfied with this decision and attacked and took Nagurumi Castle. This was the last straw for Hideyoshi and set him on a path to destroy the Hojo, which he accomplished in the following year (1590). After the defeat of the Hojo, the castle was put back under Sanada control.

The castle was rebuilt by Sanada Nobuyuki in 1597. It was a modern castle with stone walls, moats and a large (5 level) main keep. In 1681, the 5th lord of Numata Castle, Sanada Nobutoshi, was punished for misgoverning his domain and for being late getting his quota of supplies to build the Ryogoku Bridge. His lands were confiscated by the Tokugawa Bakufu and the castle was completed destroyed. The moats were filled in and stone walls were demolished or buried.

In 1703, Numata Castle was given to Honda Masanaga who was instructed to rebuild the castle. He repaired some of the buried moats and earthen embankments, but nothing more. After three generations of Honda, the Toki clan became the new lords of Numata Castle and they continued to rule until the Meiji Restoration. After the original castle was demolished, a palace was built in the Sannomaru Bailey for later lords, but the the rest was a castle in name only. No yagura, main keep or other castle structures were ever rebuilt.


Visit Notes

There's not very much to see here but it is worth visiting along with Nagurumi Castle. You definitely should take some time to see the inside of the Ubukata Home. You don't find many homes from the 1600's. Many are actually later in the Edo Period.


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Gallery
  • Remnants of the Nishi Yagura Stone walls
  • Reconstructed bell tower
  • Moat around the Nishi Yagura
  • Stone walls of the Nishi Yagura
  • Stone walls of the Nishi Yagura
  • Earthen embankment of the Honmaru
  • View from Numata Castle
  • Sute Bailey
  • Ubukata House
  • Inside the Ubukata House
  • The Ubukata House
  • Inside the Ubukata House
  • Model of Numata Castle
  • Numata Castle map


Castle Profile
English Name Numata Castle
Japanese Name 沼田城
Alternate Names Kurauchi-jo
Founder Numata Akiyasu
Year Founded 1532
Castle Type Mountaintop
Castle Condition Ruins only
Designations Next 100 Castles, has Important Cultural Properties, Local Historic Site
Historical Period Edo Period
Features turrets, trenches, stone walls
Visitor Information
Access Numata Sta. (Joetsu Line); 20 min walk
Visitor Information The park is open any time. The Ubukata House is open 9am to 4pm; closed 12/29-1/3 and Wednesdays unless it's a national holiday, then it's closed the following day. Admission 100yen.
Time Required 45 mins
Website http://www.city.numata.gunma.jp/introduction/koen.html
Location Numata, Gunma Prefecture
Coordinates 36° 38' 53.52" N, 139° 2' 20.18" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle 2013
Admin Year Visited 2013
Admin Visits Apr 29, 2013


2.00
(2 votes)
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FurinkazanDaimyo

9 months ago
Score 0++
I visited this site on 08/05/2023. It's a lovely park with some castle features, like ART mentions, but otherwise there isn't that much to see.
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ARTShogun

33 months ago
Score 0++
Numatajō is famous amongst castle fans. It once had a towering keep, dating to 1597, and would've been as splendid as the likes of Matsumotojō. The castle was demolished the 17th century, however. The site today is a park, but there's lots of bits and pieces to see of the castle, such as ishigaki (stone-piled ramparts), hori (moats), dorui (earthen ramparts), and kuruwa (baileys). A historic bell tower has been relocated to the site and serves as a replacement for a similar one which was originally located at the castle. The Former Ubakata Residence, a 17th century machiya (merchant's house), can also be found at the castle site, presumably relocated from the jōkamachi (castle town).