Samegao Castle, Mountain fortress in Myoko, Japan
Samegao Castle is a mountain fortress on a hilltop in Myoko that spreads across about 300 meters with three main sections connected by steep dry moats. The northern side is reinforced by earthen ramparts that remain visible today.
The fortress developed during the Sengoku period and was reinforced after battles between Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin around 1560. It then served as a defense point against possible invasions from Shinano Province.
Archaeological remains at the site include burnt structures and carbonized rice that reveal how people lived during the Sengoku period. These findings show what daily life was like when this location served as a military stronghold.
The site is reachable by car in about ten minutes from Kita-Arai Station on the JR Shinetsu Main Line. Visitors should wear sturdy shoes since the climb to the hilltop is steep and the path crosses earthen ramparts.
Beneath the fortress structures lie remnants of the Hida Sites, a Yayoi period settlement that shows this hilltop was strategically used across many centuries. This older layer made the location a natural defensive point during several historical periods.
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