Kawagoe Castle

Kawagoe Castle, located in Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture, is a historic Japanese castle with deep historical significance. Originally built during the Muromachi period, it underwent several reconstructions and expansions, eventually becoming the domain headquarters of Kawagoe-han during the Edo period. It is known by its poetic names "Hatsukari-jō" (Castle of the First Wild Goose) and "Kirigakure-jō" (Hidden-in-the-Mist Castle), and is recognized as one of the Seven Great Castles of the Kanto region as well as one of the Japan’s Top 100 Castles.

The castle is classified as a hirayama-style castle, located at the northeastern edge of the Musashino Plateau. While most of the original structures have been lost, a portion of the Honmaru Goten (Main Keep Palace), constructed in 1848 (Kaei 1), still remains and is designated as a Tangible Cultural Property of Saitama Prefecture. This structure is one of the few surviving honmaru palaces from the Edo period. The former castle grounds stretched from present-day Hatsukari Park to the area around Kawagoe City Hall, and now include the Kawagoe City Museum, Kawagoe City Art Museum, and Saitama Prefectural Kawagoe High School.

Notably, Kawagoe Castle did not feature a traditional tenshukaku (main keep). Instead, the Fujimi Yagura (Mt. Fuji-Viewing Turret), located at the castle’s highest point, served as a symbolic watchtower with a three-story structure that functioned similarly to a main keep. Today, the site of the yagura houses Ontake Shrine and Sengen Shrine. There are also ongoing efforts to reconstruct gates such as the Obikuruwa Gate, North Gate, Korai Gate, Main Palace Entrance, and some earthen embankments.

During the Edo period, Kawagoe-han was governed by several high-ranking officials of the Tokugawa shogunate, including Sakai Tadakatsu, Matsudaira Nobutsuna (known as “Chie-Izu” for his wisdom), and Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu. Seven Rōjū (Elders), or senior shogunate officials, originated from Kawagoe, making it one of the domains with the highest number of such figures.

The name "Hatsukari-jō" derives from an ancient cedar tree called the “First Wild Goose Cedar” located within Miyoshino Shrine. According to legend, wild geese would fly around the tree three times each year before departing. "Kirigakure-jō", or "Castle Hidden in Mist", refers to a legendary well named “Kirisui-no-I” (Mist-Spraying Well), which was said to produce fog in emergencies to obscure the castle from enemy view. The well has since been relocated and is now displayed in the garden in front of the Kawagoe City Museum.