Sugaya Yakata

The inner bailey of Sugaya Yakata spans a rectangular area of 200 by 100 meters, protected by a five-meter high clay rampart with surrounding enclosures.

Built as a fortified residence of Hatakeyama Shigetada in 1164, the castle served as a strategic point along the Kamakura Kaido highway connecting to the Kamakura shogunate.

The Saitama Prefectural Ranzan Historical Museum, located within the castle grounds, presents artifacts and information about medieval Japanese military architecture.

Visitors can reach the castle site by taking a 15-minute walk from Musashi-Ranzan Station on the Tobu Tojo Line, which connects to central Tokyo.

The castle represents a hirajiro design, built on flat terrain near the confluence of Tokigawa and Tsukikawa rivers, unlike typical mountain-top Japanese fortifications.

Location: Ranzan

Part of: Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles

Website: https://ranzan-shiseki.spec.ed.jp/%E5%8D%9A%E7%89%A9%E9%A4%A8%E7%B4%B9%E4%BB%8B-1/%E8%8F%85%E8%B0%B7%E9%A4%A8%E8%B7%A1

GPS coordinates: 36.03587,139.32274

Latest update: May 11, 2025 10:13