Nihonmatsu Castle, Hilltop castle in Nihonmatsu, Japan.
Nihonmatsu Castle, also called Kasumi-ga-jō or Shirahata-jō, is a hirayama-style castle north of Nihonmatsu city centre. It combines a residence at the foot of the hill with a citadel on Shirahata Peak, 345 m high. The reconstructed Minowa Gate and attached yagura stand below; the honmaru on the summit has a rebuilt tenshudai and stone walls.
Hatakeyama Takakuni founded the fortress in 1341 during the Nanboku-chō period, using the natural elevation for defense. The Niwa family took over during the Edo period and held it until the Boshin War in 1868, when the castle fell during the Battle of Nihonmatsu.
The castle's name Kasumi-ga-jō, "Mist Castle," comes from the haze that often covers the hill. The tea house Senshintei, a prefectural cultural property, was moved into the grounds during the Meiji era. Near the reconstructed Minowa gate stands a bronze group of the Nihonmatsu Youth Corps, boys mobilized in the 1868 siege.
The walk from JR Nihonmatsu Station to the entrance takes about 20 minutes, with another 15 minutes uphill to the main bailey at the summit. The paths climb through wooded sections, so comfortable shoes are recommended for the visit.
The reconstructed Minowa gate and attached yagura at the foot of the hill date from 1982; the honmaru's tenshudai stone base was restored in 1993. Near the gate stands a bronze group statue of the Nihonmatsu Shonentai, the boy soldiers mobilized in the one-day battle of July 29, 1868. In October 2015 a temporary mock keep lit with LEDs stood on the site for nine days.
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