Sasayama-cho
Remains of Sasayama Castle


National Designated Historic Remains
Edo Period
Castle Walls

Sasayama Castle, also called "Kiriga-jo Castle," was erected by Tokugawa Ieyasu(1543-1616), the founder of the Tokugawa or Edo shogunate, in 1609. It was a small castle but was well-defended with a watchtower and a special defense space called masugata for weakening the force of a hostile army. After the Meiji Restoration, most of the buildings were destroyed but the moat and stone walls remain as they were in those days. The earthwork type dike in front of the gateway of the castle, which allowed people and horses to go in and out in secret, is unique in Japan.
On the site of Sasayama Castle, which is well-known for its beautiful cherry blossoms, reconstruction of an "O-shoin" style house which is said to have been copied from "Tozamurai-no-ma" at Nijo Castle in Kyoto is underway at the moment.

Source: The Sasayama municipal government

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