Saika Castle, Japanese castle in Wakayama, Japan.
Saika Castle is a hilltop fortress in Wakayama with stone walls, multiple gates, and fortifications built on elevated ground. The site offers views across the surrounding landscape and displays the typical design of a castle from the Sengoku period.
The castle was founded by Suzuki Sadayu during the Sengoku period and served as a stronghold for the Saika Ikki group. It was besieged by Oda Nobunaga in 1577, marking a turning point in regional power.
The castle was the center of a community of craftsmen and warriors who specialized in making firearms. Visitors can still sense the connection between this place and that special craft tradition.
The site is open to visitors and can be reached by public transportation from central Wakayama. Informational signs guide tourists through the grounds and help with orientation.
Near the castle stood foundries where the Saika Ikki manufactured firearms such as the arquebus. This made the site an important center of weapons production in feudal Japan.
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