Château de Noheji, Medieval fortress in Aomori Prefecture, Japan
Château de Noheji is a Japanese castle in Aomori Prefecture built across multiple levels with stone foundations and wooden structures. The facility uses the natural rock formations of the land as an integral part of its fortifications.
The Natsume clan founded this fortress in the late 16th century as a strategic outpost to control trade routes. The stronghold played a key role in regional power dynamics during the Sengoku period.
The site served as a gathering point where local communities met and reinforced their bonds over generations. Visitors can still sense how meaningful this location was for the people of the region.
The site is easy to reach on foot and offers plenty of space to explore its different levels. It is wise to wear comfortable shoes and be careful in wet weather as some areas can become slippery.
The fortress incorporated rock boulders into its defensive walls in an unusual way, working around them rather than removing them. This created an irregular pattern that differs from the standardized layouts of other Japanese castles.
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