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Castle Masugata Castle

This article is in the series Walking the Japanese Castles
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Masugata Castle (枡形城 Masugata-jō) is located in Tama Ward, Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture.

Masugata Castle (枡形城)

The castle was constructed on a hill facing the southern banks of the Tama River.

Masugata Castle (枡形城)

This map is based on Tokyo Terrain Map powered by Gridscapes.net.

The castle site formed a formidable stronghold, surrounded by cliffs about 60 metres above the river.

It was Inage Saburō Shigenari (稲毛三郎重成), son of Oyamada Arishige (小山田有重), who was said to have built the first fortification on the site in the early days of the Kamakura shogunate. In 1504, the castle saw action when Hōjō Sōun (北條早雲, 1432-1519, also known as Ise Shinkurō, pitched camp there for three days during his campaign against Yamanouchi Akasada of the Uesugi clan. Sōun and Imagawa Ujichika supported the Uesugi branch family of Ōgigayatsu Tomoyoshi and defeated the enemy in the Battle of Tachigawara (modern-day Tachikawa). Masugata Castle was reinforced in 1569, when the Takeda, a former ally of the Hōjō, turned against them and attacked the Hōjō headquarters at Odawara Castle. At the end of the Sengoku Period, the castle was abandoned and subsequently fell into ruin.

Nowadays, the castle ruins are located within the perimeter of Ikuta Green Park (生田緑地 Ikuta Ryukuchi).

A ten-minute walk from Mukogaoka-Yuen Station, I had to climb a forested slope and reach the castle site on top of the hill another ten minutes later.

Masugata Castle (枡形城)

A castle monument, a restored castle gate (see the picture on top) and a wooden fence surrounded by some open space.

Masugata Castle (枡形城)

From the observatory, Tokyo is well visible beyond the Tama River.

Masugata Castle (枡形城)

An array of castles built in the hills south of Tama River constituted Kamakura's northern line of defence.

Masugata Castle (枡形城)

Date of visit: 26 May 2013


Access Information:

  • Address: 〒214-0032 Kanagawa, Kawasaki, Tama Ward, 26, 枡形6-4740
  • Transportation: a 20-minute walk from Odakyu Odawara line Mukogaoka-Yuen Station
  • Other sights: Japan Open-Air Folk House Museum
Next article in the series 'Walking the Japanese Castles': Koga Castle
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Hiroto Uehara
Hiroto is an ordinary Japanese office worker, but his true mission is searching for castles on the weekend.

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Iwatsuki Castle Shakujii Castle Oda Castle Tsuchiura Castle Miharu Castle Inohana Castle Setagaya Castle Konodai Castle Usui Castle Sakura Castle Kozukue Castle Masugata Castle Koga Castle Tenjinyama Castle Ogura Castle Sugaya Castle Sugiyama Castle Kogane Castle Kokokuji Castle Nagahama Castle (Izu) Nirayama Castle Hachigata Castle Futagamiyama Castle Edo Castle Kawahara Castle Kageishi Castle Wakasa-Onigajo Castle Tenjinyama Castle (Tottori) Tsuzurao Castle Ueshi Castle Jindaiji Castle Kururi Castle Mariyatsu Castle Narukami Castle Ryozen Castle Kori-Nishiyama Castle Tsutsujigasaki Residence Yogai Castle Kofu Castle Iwadono Castle Hachioji Castle Takiyama Castle Suemori Castle Nagoya Castle Inuyama Castle Kiyosu Castle Tatebayashi Castle Sano Castle Karasawayama Castle Ueda Castle Sanada Residence Sanada Honjo Toishi Castle Katsurao Castle Uchiyama Castle Hiraga Clan Castle Taguchi Castle Tatsuoka Castle Komoro Castle Matsushiro Castle Kajiki Castle Kakuto Castle Hitoyoshi Castle Ichiuji Castle Izaku Castle Chiran Castle Kiyoshiki Castle Kamo Castle Miyakono Castle Obi Castle Shibushi Castle Koyama Castle Mukasa Castle Sadowara Castle Tonokoori Castle Taka Castle Nerima Castle Kawagoe Castle Ashikaga Residence Koizumi Castle Kanayama Castle Shinagawa Battery (Odaiba) Tamba Kameyama Castle Yagi Castle Sonobe Castle Fushimi Castle Yodo Castle Shoryuji Castle Yamazaki Castle Tsukui Castle Katakura Castle Hirayama Castle Site Park Yamanaka Castle Sanuki Castle Sunpu Castle Koyama Castle (Shizuoka) Ryugenzan Castle Sagara Castle Tanaka Castle (Shizuoka) Ishiwaki Castle Hanazawa Castle Mochifune Castle Moriyama Castle (Aichi) Obata Castle (Aichi) Ryusenji Castle Gakuden Castle Komakiyama Castle Iwakura Castle (Aichi) Kano Castle Gifu Castle Kitagata Castle Sone Castle Ōgaki Castle Ōtaki Castle Obata Castle (Ibaraki) Mito Castle Kasama Castle Tanagura Castle Akadate Castle Inawashiro Castle Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle Mukai-Haguroyama Castle

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Hiroto Uehara
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枡形城跡

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