is a flatland-hilltop
Japanese castle ruin located in
Tokorozawa,
Saitama Prefecture
is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Saitama Prefecture has a population of 7,338,536 (1 January 2020) and has a geographic area of 3,797 km2 (1,466 sq mi). Saitama Prefecture borders Tochigi Prefecture ...
. It was on a key route between the northern
Kanto Plain
Kantō (Japanese)
Kanto is a simplified spelling of , a Japanese word, only omitting the diacritics.
In Japan
Kantō may refer to:
*Kantō Plain
*Kantō region
*Kantō-kai, organized crime group
*Kanto (Pokémon), a geographical region in the ' ...
and
Hachioji.
The most recent structure was built in the 15th century by
Ōishi Sadahisa
Ōishi Sadahisa (大石 定久; 1 May 1491 – 27 October 1549) was a retainer of the Ogigayatsu-Uesugi branch of the Uesugi, and the builder of Takiyama Castle (滝山城). After the Uesugi were defeated at Kawagoe in 1545, Ōishi accepted ...
and existed during the 16th-century
Sengoku period of Japanese history. In 1546, the
Hojo of
Odawara took control and in 1569 possession passed to the
Takeda. Then Go-Hōjō clan expanded and improved the defences of the castle.
After 1590, the castle was abandoned simultaneously with the arrival of
Tokugawa Ieyasu into the region, having outlived its purpose.
The castle is now a ruin, with clear archeological evidence of the foundations of a number buildings and a dry moat. The castle name "Taki-no-jō", which literally means "waterfall castle", is due to a waterfall that exists on the eastern part of the castle grounds. The castle grounds now form a recreational park including walking paths, a children's play area and a baseball field. The park is called .
file:Waterfall Castle Shrine.JPG, Shrine at the summit. Site of the honmaru
are fortresses constructed primarily of wood and stone. They evolved from the wooden stockades of earlier centuries, and came into their best-known form in the 16th century. Castles in Japan were built to guard important or strategic sites, such ...
main citadel
file:Waterfall Castle Creek Waterfall.jpg, Creek and waterfall from which the castle was named.
Notes
References
* Papinot, E. (1910). "Historical and Geographical Dictionary of Japan." 1972 Printing. Charles E. Tuttle Company, Tokyo, .
* On site descriptive signage.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taki-no-jo Castle
Castles in Saitama Prefecture
Former castles in Japan
Ruined castles in Japan
Go-Hōjō clan