What's new

Castle Sakura Castle

This article is in the series Walking the Japanese Castles
Leave a rating
Sakura Castle (佐倉城 Sakura-jō) is located in the city of Sakura in Chiba Prefecture and was constructed on the 30-meter-high Kashima plateau. Due to its elaborate use of the natural topography, it was an impregnable location surrounded by marshes and rivers.

sakura01.jpg


sakura02.jpg

The map is based on Google Earth.

Built on the unfinished remains of Kashima Castle that had been started by the Chiba clan in the Sengoku Period, Doi Toshikatsu (土井利勝, 1573-1644), a high-ranking official in the Tokugawa shogunate and advisor to the second shogun , Hidetada, completed the castle in 1617 under the orders of Ieyasu himself. After that, it served as one of the vital defence lines of the capital Edo under several fudai daimyō (feudal lord in hereditary vassal to the Tokugawa family). Though none of the original structures remains, enclosures, ramparts and moats in the vast castle are well-maintained.

I went there by bus, which took about 5 minutes from Keisei-Sakura Station to "Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan iriguchi" (the entrance of the National Museum). You can also reach the castle grounds in a 20-minute walk. I entered the castle from the bus station. There was a huge moat in the vicinity of the entrance.

sakura03.jpg


I climbed up the short slope and walked along the side of the National Museum of Japanese History. It's a site history buffs shouldn't miss, but I had to pass on as I was pressed for time.

sakura04.jpg


An excavation site close to the museum.

sakura05.jpg


The path was around the castle grounds was well-maintained and comfortable to tackle.

sakura06.jpg


The most impressive sight was the vast dry moats deeply carved into the hill, a formidable line of defence.

sakura07.jpg


sakura08.jpg


sakura09.jpg


The inner bailey: the three-storied castle tower was initially located at the corner.

sakura10.jpg


otemon-sakura-castle.jpg

This is a historical picture of Ote Gate. There were several huge gates in the castle.

Date of visit: 19 May 2013

Access:

  • Address: 〒285-0017 Chiba, Sakura, Jonaicho, 官有無番地
  • Transportation: get off at "Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan Iriguchi" bus stop from Keisei Main Line Keisei-Sakura station by bus, or 20 minutes walk
  • Other sights: the National Museum of Japanese History
    Sakura Town Walking Map (PDF, in Japanese and English)
Next article in the series 'Walking the Japanese Castles': Kozukue Castle
Previous article in the series 'Walking the Japanese Castles': Usui Castle
  • Like
Reactions: salyavin
About author
Hiroto Uehara
Hiroto is an ordinary Japanese office worker, but his true mission is searching for castles on the weekend.

Comments

There are no comments to display.

Series table of contents

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

Article information

Author
Hiroto Uehara
Article read time
2 min read
Views
3,626
Last update
Location
佐倉城址公園

More in Chiba

More from Hiroto Uehara

Back
Top Bottom