Ueda Castle : A Study of Japanese Bibliography

This is all about Ueda Castle Ruins you want to know.
Every information you get on this site will be from a credible source based on Japanese history (books for reference).

"Kojō ezu (picture in Edo Period)" from 国立国会図書館

Collected by the Inagaki family, the Toba Daimyō from the mid-Edo period to the Meiji Restoration, as materials for military studies. There are about 350 illustrations, but there is no uniformity because only illustrations of castles, illustrations including castle towns, and old battlefield illustrations are mixed.

Another typical example of a castle picture in the Edo period is "The Shōhō Shiroezu", picture of the castle and castle town that the Edo Shogunate ordered the daimyō to create and submit,aggregating military information such as the buildings inside the castle, the height of the stone wall, the width of the moat and the water depth, etc., it also details the location and shape of the castle town and the mountain river.

Profile : Ueda Castle


Location	Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture
Also known as	Amagafuchi Castle (Because of its Location in the northern part of the Ueda basin and facing Amagafuchi, a branch of the Chikuma River)
Type of castle	Flatland
Mountain's name	ー
Elevation	ー
Condition	No main keep but other buildings
Designation	National Historic Sites Nagano Prefecture Treasure
Year built	1583
Abolished	1874
Castle lord	Sanada Masayuki
Refurbishment lord	Sengoku Tadamasa

Portrait of Sanada Masayuki from **Wikipedia**

Family Crest from **"Bukan Complete Works"** (produced by CODH)
adapted from "Classical Japanese National Data Set" (Kokubunken Collection)

The family crest was originally created from the pattern that the emperor and the royal family put on the kimono, and the pattern was made into a fixed pattern, and the one attached to his own oxcart is said to be the beginning of the family crest. The warlords drew large crests on the flag-fingers, used to distinguish enemy views on the battlefield, and used by the generals to determine which warlords were active and how much.

Ueda Castle admission

admission fee : 300yen (Common) 200yen(Above high school students) 100円(Junior high and elementary school students)　
admission time : am8:30-pm5
holyday : Wednesday, New Year holidays, the day after national holidays reference official site (japanese)

Ueda Castle Google Map

Ueda Castle Images　

Sanada Clan has been based in Ueda since Sanada Masayuki built Ueda Castle in 1583. Masayuki triumphs over Tokugawa's army with his sons Nobuyuki and Nobushige ,the stage of the first and second Ueda battle, defeat 38,000 warriors in Tokugawa with only 2500 castle defenders. However, Tokugawa Ieyasu completely destroyed Ueda Castle, as if resolving the resentment of Ueda battle after the battle of Sekigahara,

The Honmaru is located on the south side, the Ninomaru surrounds the north, east and west of the Honmaru. This is the strongest natural defense on the southern side, which was a cliff bordering the Chikuma River. It is possible that a main keep was built on the ground Is coming out. Ueda Castle seems to have no main keep, Excavated items such as gold leaf tiles and whale fragments that seem to belong to it.

Yagura Gate of east side

Against enemies, counterattack from the second floor of the tower gate or the gun gap which holes built in the wall to fire arrows or guns. In front of the gate will be blind spots from the second floor of the tower, It was a Yokoya that could be countered from the side of the gate. If give up the gate and try to climb the stone wall, will be subject to a relentless attack by stones and arrows from the stone dropper.

There is a huge stone called "Sanada stone". This is the "mirror stone" that put as a symbol of authority.
A very important gate that protects the Honmaru. The gate itself is restored, but various the attacks have been reproduced.

Yagura of west side

The North, South and West yagura are all original.

Sanada well with a loophole legend. A well is an important facility because securing water is essential for barricading in.

attacking spot "Ishiotoshi"

Prominent facilities provided in the corner of the first floor of the castle tower that can drop stones and shoot with guns against enemies attached to the stone wall of the large castle tower from inside the castle.

The Ueda Castle Senbonzakura Festival, which is held during the cherry blossom season in April every year, counts 16 times this year.
Approximately 1,000 cherry trees are in full bloom, filling the famous Sengoku Castle.

You can enjoy the scenery typical of Japan, such as the cherry blossoms reflected on the three towers and the cherry blossoms reflected on the surface of the moat. At night, the Castle are illuminated, and the fantastic beauty that is different from the bustling daytime is also worth seeing.

Link-1 : A fierce battle in japanese history

【north japan】Goryōkaku 【north japan】Aizuwakamatsu Castle 【east japan】Kawagoe Castle 【west japan】Tottori Castle 【west japan】 Chihaya Castle 【south japan】Shimabara Castle 【central japan】Ueda Castle

Link-2 : The castle of "knowledge warrior"

【north japan】Sendai Castle 【central japan】Chihaya castle 【central japan】Minowa Castle 【west japan】Uwajima castle 【central japan】Ueda Castle