Iwatsuki Castle

Iwatsuki Castle is a former fortress in Iwatsuki-ku, a district of Saitama, Japan, whose grounds now serve as a public park. The remaining earthen ramparts and water-filled moats enclose a central area transformed into Hakuho Park, where visitors can walk among trees and lawns while tracing outlines of the old defenses.

Ota Dokan built the fortress in 1457 as a northern stronghold to protect the Kanto plain from rival clans. Over the following centuries, the site changed hands several times through sieges and power struggles among feudal lords, until it lost its military function during the Meiji Restoration.

The fortress sits along an old route that connected Edo with northern shrines, which shaped the town around it. Local workshops began producing dolls from paulownia wood, a craft still practiced in Iwatsuki today and visible when walking through the older neighborhoods nearby.

The park grounds open daily and can be reached on foot in about 20 minutes from Iwatsuki Station on the Tobu Noda Line. Some reconstructed sections offer guided tours that provide background on the site, while most outdoor areas can be explored freely without restrictions.

The defenses made use of surrounding marshlands and rivers as natural barriers, with traces of fortifications extending roughly 9 kilometers (5.6 miles). This wide layout shows how castle builders incorporated water landscapes into their strategies, something visitors can trace when walking along the old boundary lines.

Location: Iwatsuki-ku

Inception: 15 century

GPS coordinates: 35.95135,139.71024

Latest update: December 20, 2025 13:21