Château de Kawamurashiro, Mountain fortress in Yamakita, Japan.
Kawamura Castle is a mountain fortress in Yamakita located where three provinces meet. The site has multiple layers of earthen walls, dry moats, and fortified paths running across steep slopes with wide views of the surrounding land.
The fortress was founded in the late Heian period by the Kawamura family and served as a strategic point during conflicts between the Northern and Southern Courts in 1352. It remained important over several centuries as different clans used it as a key outpost against possible threats.
The name comes from the Kawamura family who held the land for generations. Visitors can still see the defensive walls and paths that show how people used this hilltop as a crucial protected stronghold.
The grounds are easy to reach from Yamakita Station on the JR Gotemba Line and have two marked hiking trails with different difficulty levels. Visitors should wear sturdy shoes as the terrain on the steep slopes is uneven and can be slippery in some spots.
Excavations on site revealed a unique trench system that differs from typical Japanese fortress designs and shows local building methods. These particular defensive features demonstrate how builders experimented with different solutions at this location hundreds of years ago.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
