What kind of castle is Yamanaka Castle? The castle was built by the Odawara Hojo clan.
Yamanaka Castle was located in Yamanakashinden, Mishima City, Shizuoka Prefecture, on a mountain between 540 and 580 meters above sea level.
The castle is said to have been built between 1558 and 1570 during the Warring States period, by Ujiyasu Hojo, the third head of the Odawara Hojo clan, which was very powerful in the Kanto region.
It is called the Odawara Hojo clan to distinguish it from the regent Hojo clan of the Kamakura period.
This castle was built as a branch castle to protect the western side of Odawara Castle, the Hojo clan’s headquarters, and is one of the ten castles of Hakone.
The Odawara Hojo clan built numerous castles (or forts) in their territory from Ujiyasu Hojo onward (Ujimasa and Ujinao), which not only protected Odawara Castle, but also served as a network of communication (castle network).
When Toyotomi Hideyoshi began his conquest of Odawara in 1590, Yamanaka Castle was attacked by an army of 70,000 men led by Toyotomi Hideji (Hideyoshi’s adopted son, the second Kanpaku of the Toyotomi clan).
On the other hand, Ujikatsu Hojo, who was the enemy, had only about 3,000 defenders, but he fought back thoroughly, taking out the generals on Toyotomi’s side.
However, due to the difference in troop strength, “Yamanaka Castle” was defeated within half a day.
After the Odawara Hojo clan was defeated in the Odawara Conquest, Yamanaka Castle was abandoned, but in 1930 it was designated as a national historic site, and in 1973 it was turned into a park (selected as one of the 100 best castles in Japan).
What is the best part of Yamanaka Castle? Yamanaka Castle’s moat that looks like a waffle
The main attraction of Yamanaka Castle is its moat, which looks like a waffle.
The Odawara Hojo clan is said to have had particularly advanced castle-building technology among the feudal lords of the Warring States period, and castles on the front lines, far from their home base Odawara Castle, were built with the latest technology.
Yamanaka Castle, one of these castles, was also built with advanced castle-building techniques, one of which is the waffle-like moat that remains today.
Two types of moats can be seen inside the castle (in the park): “undebori” and “shoshibori.
Unebori are so called because they resemble ridges (raised areas of earth in a field), and the attacking soldiers must advance in single file along the ridges, making them very efficient from the perspective of the defenders.
The shoji moat is a characteristic of the Odawara-Hojo clan, and is so called because it resembles the frame of a shoji (a paper sliding door). The ridges are complicated, making it difficult for attackers to walk around. The remains of these moats and earthworks are covered with fill and protected with grass to prevent weathering.
Access to Yamanaka Castle
410-4 Yamanakashinden, Mishima City, Shizuoka Prefecture, 411-0011, Japan
Parking around Yamanaka Castle
Yamanaka Castle Official Website
Official site：https://www.city.mishima.shizuoka.jp/ipn033080.html