Gotenba Area, Shizuoka

Gotenba is a city with eighty five thousand population, at the foot of Mt. Fuji. It is the gateway to sightseeing in Mt. Fuji and Hakone.

The name of "Gotenba" in Japanese means "the place where a palace is located". The palace that gave the name to the area was ordered to be built in 1615 by TOKUGAWA Ieyasu(1543 - 1616), who was the first Shogun in the "Edo" Age(1603 - 1868).

This page introduces the information of historical sites in Gorenba and its surrounding area.

The site of Gotenba Palace

The palace which TOKUGAWA Ieyasu ordered was started to be built in 1616 after TOKUGAWA Ieyasu died. It was located near present-day Gotenba High School, approximately two kilometers north from Gotenba Station. Azuma Shrine is located at the site of the palace.

The monument, which tells the palace was located, is located in the shrine.

To the north of Azuma Shrine, Gotenba High School is located. This was also the site of the palace.

After visiting the site of Gotenba Palace, I went to the ruins of Fukazawa Castle, built in the late "Muromachi" Age(1336 - 1573). On the way, I saw beautiful Mt. Fuji.

The view was spectacular.

The ruins of Fukazawa Castle

Fukazawa Castle was located approximately 3.5km north-east from Gotenba Station. It was built in the middle of sixteenth century by IMAGAWA Clan who ruled Suruga Province. This area was the border of the territories of IMAGAWA Clan, HOJYO Clan, who ruled Sagami Province and TAKEDA Clan, who ruled Kai Province. The castle lords changed to HOJYO and TAKEDA Clans.

You will see the castle monument at the entrance of the ruins of Fukazawa Castle.

The ruins of Fukazawa Castle are located in forest. The below picture shows a bailey of Fukazawa Castle.

If you walk further into the forest, you will arrive at the main bailey. Nothing is left, but only approximately fifty metes square of land remain.

From the main bailey, you will see Mt. Fuji and the horseshoe-shaped Umafuse River.

The views of Mt. Fuji and the Umafuse River were both very impressive. The lords of the castle and the soldiers stationed there may not have had the time to enjoy the view.

Fukazawa Castle was abandoned after Hojyo Clan was ruined in 1590. No castle buildings remain at the site of Fukazawa Castle, but the castle gate has been relocated to Daiun-In Temple, about 1 km south.

Looking at the empty main enclosure, it feels like the time when Fukazawa Castle was in operation is a long time ago, but the remaining castle gate makes it feel like that time wasn't so long ago.

There are several resort hotels on the middle slope of the Hakone outer rim. From these hotels, you can also see Mt. Fuji.

At dusk, Mount Fuji stood out in silhouette, and the lights of Gotenba town at its foot sparkled.

It was very impressive.

The ruins of Katsurayama Castle

If you take a train from Gotenba Station to Iwanami Station, two stops south, the ruins of Katsurayama Castle are located. In the middle age of Japan, the lords of each village built their castles and fought against the surrounding lords to protect their territories. So that, there were more than twenty thousand of castle existed. Katsurayama Castle was one of them.

Near Katsurayama Castle, the site of the lord's residence of Katsurayama Castle is located. The residence was surrounded by earthworks.

The site of the residence is a square piece of land about fifty meters on each side.

From the site of the lord's residence of Katsurayama Castle, you will see a small hill to the north. Katsurayama castle used to stand on top of this small hill.

In the Middle Ages, the sites of a residence and a castle existed together as one combination. However, now it is very rare that both the sites of the residence and the castle exist.

Sennenji Temple is located at the foot of the ruins of Katsurayama Castle.

Sennenji Temple was the family temple of Katsurayama Clan, who were the castle lords of Katsurayama Castle. Climbing the mountainside from behind the main hall of Sennenji Temple, I arrived at the ruins of Katsurayama Castle.

On the left is the main bailey, and on the right is the east bailey. In between them is a "V-shaped" deep moat, separating the main and the east baileys.

When I visited the main bailey, it was near dusk, with the sun setting in the west.

There was no one in the main bailey. As dusk was approaching, the castle ruins were lonely. However, the site of main bailey was beautifully maintained and easy to stroll around.

On the way back from Katsurayama Castle to Iwanami Station, you will see Mt. Fuji. In Gotenba Area, you can see Mt. Fuji clearly from anywhere. It feels as if Mt. Fuji is watching over you.

How to get there
From Tokyo and Osaka, take a bullet train on the Tokaido Shinkansen to Mishima. Change to a local train to Numazu and take a train on the Gotemba Line to Ashigara Station. Or, get off the Shinkansen at Odawara, and take a train to Kouzu. Change a train to Gotenba.

Other Historical Sites near by:
"Ashigara Kodo"
Ashigara Pass
Mt. Hakone, Oowakudani
Lake Ashinoko
Atami

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