Noda Castle, Castle ruins in Toyoshima, Shinshiro, Japan.
Noda Castle is a Japanese fortress composed of three baileys positioned on a north-south ridge and protected by earthen walls and deep moats along its eastern and western sides. The site covers an area where structures once stood, with the landscape still showing traces of the defensive system.
Suganuma Sadanori built a fortified residence here in 1508. The Imagawa seized it in 1560, and Suganuma Sadamitsu retook it in a night battle in 1562. In 1573 Takeda Shingen's army took it after sappers diverted the moats' water; Shingen was shot by a sniper during the siege and died weeks later. The castle was abandoned around 1590.
The castle's name gave rise to JR Noda Castle Station on the Iida Line, about a 15-minute walk from the ruins. The gate of the honmaru was moved in 1719 to serve as the temple gate of nearby Hōshō-ji, where it can still be seen. The site is now overgrown with trees and shrubs.
The ruins are accessible from JR Nodajo Station via a 15-minute walk through the surrounding area. The site features visible earthworks and old moats, though vegetation covers much of the ground, so sturdy footwear is recommended.
The castle's best-known story concerns Takeda Shingen, who was shot by a sniper during the 1573 siege and died weeks later; the Suganuma family chronicle records the shot, though Takeda sources do not confirm a hit. Akira Kurosawa's film Kagemusha draws on this legend. The main gate was moved to the nearby Hōshō-ji temple in 1719.
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