[Nitakanayama Castle] (Ota City, Gunma Prefecture, former province name: Ueno)

In the mid-16th century, the Hojo clan, based in Odawara, Sagami Province (now most of Kanagawa Prefecture), rapidly expanded its power in the Kanto region, and the ruling system established by the Muromachi Shogunate was in danger of collapse. Meanwhile, the Uesugi clan, one of the old powers oppressed by the Hojo clan, who had hereditarily held the position of Kanto Kanrei (a position that supported the Kamakura Kubo, who ruled the eastern provinces during the Muromachi period), fled to Echigo Province (now Niigata Prefecture), the territory of the Nagao clan, which was their vassal. They asked Kagetora, the head of the Nagao clan, to take on the Uesugi family name and defeat the Hojo clan. This Kagetora was the future Uesugi Kenshin (1530-1578), who crossed the Echigo Mountains and began his attack on the Kanto region. On the other hand, the Hojo clan allied with Takeda Shingen (1521-1573) of Kai Province (present-day Yamanashi Prefecture) and Shinano Province (present-day Nagano Prefecture), who was the Uesugi clan's arch enemy and with whom they were related by marriage at the time, to counter the Hojo clan. The three giants, Hojo, Uesugi, and Takeda, fought each other repeatedly forming alliances, and Kozuke Province (present-day Gunma Prefecture) in particular became the scene of fierce competition. Kanayama Castle, towering over Ota City in Gunma Prefecture, is a historic site that conveys the power of this historical drama, reminiscent of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The Iwamatsu clan, who originally owned the castle, were a clan that claimed to be descendants of the Nitta clan, which produced Nitta Yoshisada (1301-1336) during the Nanboku-cho period. However, Narishige Yokose (1506-1578), a member of the same clan and the most senior vassal, gradually gained power over his lord, eventually driving out the Iwamatsu clan and seizing Kanayama Castle. He called himself the head of the Nitta clan, and renamed his clan "Yura" after the place name of Yura-go, which had been passed down for generations by the head family. Narishige, who became the lord of Kanayama Castle through a so-called overthrow of the ruling class, followed the Uesugi clan, who had just begun to cross the mountains, and came into conflict with the Hojo clan. He also deepened his friendship with the Shogun of the shogunate in Kyoto through the Uesugi clan, and had a prominent presence in Kozuke Province. However, when the Hojo clan's offensive intensified, he defected from the Uesugi clan and switched to the Hojo side, demonstrating his exquisite ability to determine the power balance between the major forces. At the very least, when the relationship between the Hojo and Takeda deteriorated, he played the role of mediator between the Uesugi clan, whom he had previously betrayed, and the Hojo clan, realizing an alliance between the two. As a result, even after Narutsugu's death, the Yura clan continued to hold the position of lord of Kanayama Castle until the Hojo clan was destroyed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Narutsugu, who took over the castle by overthrowing the ruling class and shamelessly repeated subordination and defection to major powers, seems to symbolize the chaotic history of the Kanto Warring States period, and his shrewdness even makes him worthy of the name "Furious Hero." If we look closely at the timeline, Narutsugu is almost always involved in the start of wars and alliances in Kozuke Province, and we can see how the major powers struggled to win him over to their side. And what made his presence stand out was his castle, Kanayama Castle. From the castle ruins, you can see a panoramic view of Ota city and the vast Kanto Plain, and the importance of its location can still be understood today. Recent investigations have carefully preserved the remains, and it has been revealed that it was a castle built with "stone walls," which was extremely rare in the Kanto region at that time. In particular, the restored stone walls and stone pavement at the main gate are neat and tight, and even exude a certain beauty. At the same time, the vitality of the giant tree that crawls out of the cracks in the stone walls and grows high into the sky is also impressive. The sight also evokes the life of Nariyuki, who survived turbulent times with a strong will, and the pride of a small power. *The highlights of the castle ruins and the history of the area are explained in detail at the "Historic Kanayama Castle Ruins Guidance Facility" at the foot of the mountain (photos 2-3, designed by Kengo Kuma), and we recommend visiting it before climbing the castle. Recommended for solo travelers: ★★★ (There are quite a few people, but it's a large place so it doesn't bother me) Visited: 1st Sunday in October around 11am Access: 1 hour and 10 minutes walk from Ota Station (to the Kanayama Castle Ruins Guidance Facility. Another 30 minutes walk to the main citadel) #KanayamaCastle #NittaKanayamaCastle #Ota #GunmaTrip #GunmaTour #tobu_weekend_trip #Castle #FamousCastle #CastleTour #Japan's100FamousCastle #Japan100FamousCastle #CastleLover #StoneWall #AncientBattlefield #CastleStamp #YuraNaritsugu #HojoUjiyasu #UesugiKenshin #TakedaShingen #WarringStatesPeriod #WarringStatesWarlord #Nobunaga'sAmbition #HistoryLover #KengoKuma #SoloTrip #LifeWithTravel #DomesticTravel