Kururi Castle
| Kururi Castle 久留里 | |
|---|---|
Kimitsu, Chiba Prefecture, Japan | |
 Reconstructed Main Keep of Kururi Castle | |
  Kururi Castle 久留里  Kururi Castle 久留里 | |
| Coordinates | 35°17′15.27″N 140°05′24.1″E / 35.2875750°N 140.090028°E |
| Type | hilltop-style Japanese castle |
| Site information | |
| Owner | reconstructed 1979 |
| Open to the public | yes |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1456 |
| Built by | Satomi Yoshiyori, Kuroda Naozumi |
| In use | Edo period |
| Demolished | 1872 |
Kururi Castle (久留里城, Kururi-jō) is a
daimyō of Kururi Domain. The castle was also known as Rain Castle (雨城, U-jō), after a legend that it rained twenty-one times during its construction, or, on average, once every three days.[1] It is located on a 227 meter hill.[2]
History
The original Kururi Castle was a mountain-top fortification built during the
Hōjō clan, based from Odawara Castle
. The Hōjō attempted to take the castle unsuccessfully on a few occasions, and finally seized it in 1564. They lost it just three years later in 1567, when the Satomi regained control.
Following the
domain
was suppressed in 1679, and Kururi Castle was allowed to fall into ruin.
In 1742, Kururi Domain was reinstated, with Kuroda Naozumi transferred from Numata Domain in Kazusa Province. He rebuilt the fortifications of the old castle, and his descendants continued to rule Kururi Domain until the Meiji Restoration.
In 1872, by orders of the
donjon
was reconstructed in 1979 to boost local tourism. It was built adjacent to the earthen foundation of the original donjon. The Edo period donjon was a two-story, two-roofed structure; however the current structure is not historically accurate, and has three interior floors. The interior is a museum devoted primarily to local history exhibits.
Literature
- De Lange, William (2021). An Encyclopedia of Japanese Castles. Groningen: Toyo Press. pp. 600 pages. ISBN 978-9492722300.
- Schmorleitz, Morton S. (1974). Castles in Japan. Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle Co. pp. 144–145. ISBN 0-8048-1102-4.
- Motoo, Hinago (1986). Japanese Castles. Tokyo: Kodansha. p. 200 pages. ISBN 0-87011-766-1.
- Mitchelhill, Jennifer (2004). Castles of the Samurai: Power and Beauty. Tokyo: Kodansha. p. 112 pages. ISBN 4-7700-2954-3.
- Turnbull, Stephen (2003). Japanese Castles 1540-1640. Osprey Publishing. p. 64 pages. ISBN 1-84176-429-9.
External links
Notes
- ^ Kururi Castle Archived 2008-05-14 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "日本の城がわかる事典「久留里城」の解説". kotobank. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
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