Hachigata Castle

Hachigata Castle, located in Yorii Town, Ōsato District, Saitama Prefecture, is a prominent Sengoku-period renkaku-style (chain layout) hirayama (hilltop) castle. Built on natural cliffs formed by the confluence of the Arakawa and Fukasawa Rivers, the castle was carefully designed to utilize the terrain, offering excellent defensive capabilities. The castle ruins are well-preserved today and open to the public as Hachigata Castle Park, featuring a historical museum.

The castle’s structure stretches northeast to southwest, with key sections including Sasa-kuruwa, Honmaru (main bailey), Ninomaru, Sannomaru, outer enclosures, and the main gate. The layout features multiple moats and natural cliffs for defense, especially the steep cliffs along the north and west facing the Arakawa River, forming a near-impenetrable fortress.

Legend holds that the castle was first built in the late 15th century by Nagao Kageharu, a retainer of the Yamana Uesugi clan, and was later expanded during the Sengoku period by Hōjō Ujiyasu’s son, Hōjō Ujikuni, turning it into a major stronghold for the Later Hōjō clan in the Kōzuke Province (modern-day Gunma).

Due to its key location in terms of transportation and military strategy, Hachigata Castle witnessed numerous battles, including defenses against Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin. Most notably, during Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s 1590 Siege of Odawara, it withstood a month-long siege by 30,000–50,000 troops under Maeda Toshiie and Uesugi Kagekatsu before surrendering peacefully, demonstrating its formidable defenses.

Designated as a National Historic Site in 1932, the castle underwent preservation and restoration starting in 1984 under Yorii Town’s initiative. Today, the site retains many defensive remains and offers historical exhibits that recreate the strategic architecture and layout of Sengoku-era castles.

Place names such as Tonobara Koji and Kaji Koji still remain in the area, indicating the former presence of a castle town and providing glimpses into the social and cultural life of the period.