Rikan Castle, Mountain fortress in Hirafuku, Japan
Rikan Castle is a mountain fortress in Hirafuku whose stone walls and wooden structures rise atop Mount Rikan at 373 meters. From this strategic position, the castle controlled traffic along the Inaba Kaido trade route.
Bessho Atsunori began building this fortress in 1349 during the Nanboku-cho period to protect the northern section of Shirahata Castle. The site later underwent significant modifications under Ikeda Yoshiyuki's rule in the early 1600s.
The castle follows traditional Japanese fortress design with a central Honmaru section surrounded by multiple defensive enclosures. These concentric rings show how people organized the space for both protection and daily life.
The castle site is open to visitors through guided tours of the Sannomaru area, with ongoing restoration work stabilizing the stone walls. Sturdy footwear is recommended since the path up the mountain is steep and uneven in places.
The three-story tenshu tower was deliberately demolished in the early 1600s to avoid conflict with the Tokugawa shogunate. This intentional destruction reveals how feudal lords adapted to the demands of central authority.
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