Kanayama Castle, Hill castle in Ota, Japan
Kanayama Castle is a ruined hill fortress in Ota that spreads across several ridges at 239 meters (784 feet) elevation. Four separate baileys connect through earthen ramparts and defensive trenches.
Iwamatsu Iezumi of the Nitta clan constructed this fortress in 1469. It withstood numerous sieges before falling without battle to Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1590.
This fortification belongs to both the Seven Famous Castles of Kanto and the prestigious 100 Fine Castles of Japan historical preservation list.
A walk from the west bailey to the main enclosure takes about three hours along steep wooded trails. Sturdy footwear helps when climbing over the old earthworks and through the deep defensive ditches.
Archaeologists uncovered extensive stone walls and foundations here, proving for the first time that medieval mountain fortresses in the Kanto region used significant stonework. This discovery overturned earlier assumptions about fortress construction in this area.
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