Numata Castle, Mountain castle in Gunma Prefecture, Japan
Numata Castle occupies a raised site in Gunma Prefecture and displays stone walls with reconstructed wooden elements that once formed a defensive stronghold above surrounding valleys. The compound spreads across multiple terraces from which the mountain landscape and the town below come into view.
Numata Akiyasu ordered the construction of this fortress in 1532 to secure military control over the surrounding territory. The Tokugawa shogunate commanded its dismantling in 1682 after regional conflicts had ended.
Traditional ceremonies take place regularly within these grounds, where the bell tower holds a reproduction cast to match the dimensions of a seventeenth-century original. Visitors walk along foundation stones and walls that show how military architecture adapted to steep terrain in Japan.
Access runs through Numata Park at 594 Nishikurauchi-machi, where paths lead up to the restored sections. Visitors can walk daily among foundations and reconstructed buildings, though sturdy footwear helps on uneven stone pathways.
The original bell from 1634 was commissioned by Sanada Nobuyoshi and now ranks among the Important Cultural Properties of the prefecture. It no longer hangs in the tower but is preserved separately under protection.
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