Hayakawashiro Castle

Hayakawashiro Castle is a Japanese castle in Ayase located within Shiroyama Park, displaying traditional fortification features on elevated terrain. The site uses natural slopes and ridges to create defensive advantages, with structures positioned to control views of the surrounding landscape.

The castle was built during the Kamakura period by the Shibuya clan, who served as powerful vassals controlling the region. This fortress marked their territorial authority and defensive interests in medieval Japan.

The castle site represents medieval Japanese military engineering principles, featuring multiple defensive layers and incorporating natural terrain advantages into its design.

The park surrounding the castle is easy to explore on foot, with marked paths leading to different levels of the fortress. Information boards along the way explain the architecture and defensive purpose of each section.

This castle ranks among the best-preserved medieval fortification sites in Kanagawa Prefecture, with many original structural elements intact. Archaeological studies reveal that the site contains rare evidence of how medieval residents used and managed the space.