Tsutsujigasaki Castle, Fortified residence in Kofu, Japan
Tsutsujigasaki is a former fortified residence in Kofu that consists of two main enclosures surrounded by triple water moats. The central area forms a square roughly 200 meters on each side, while the western extension measures about 100 by 200 meters.
Takeda Nobutora founded the residence in 1519 and made it the power center of his family for three generations. After the fall against Oda Nobunaga in 1582, the compound lost its military role and eventually became a historical site.
The name recalls the azaleas that once grew in the surrounding area and gave the site its identity. Today visitors associate the compound mainly with the Takeda Shrine, which stands on the grounds and preserves samurai traditions.
A bus from Kofu Station brings visitors to the site in about 15 minutes, which now includes both historical ruins and a shrine. The water moats and stone walls are best viewed during a walk around the outer sections.
The compound was the largest residential complex in eastern Japan during the Sengoku period and still shows preserved stone structures. The water moats remain filled today and give a sense of how the original defense system worked.
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