Shinpu Castle

Architecture, patrimoine et histoire · Préfecture de Yamanashi

The last castle of Takeda Katsuyori, Shinpu Castle (新府城) stands in Nirasaki on a steep-sided hill, formed by an ancient lava flow from the Yatsugatake mountains and then carved by erosion, overlooking the Kamanashi River. Faced with the encirclement of his domains by the Oda, Tokugawa, Uesugi and Hōjō, Katsuyori decided in 1581 to move his seat there from the Tsutsujigasaki residence in Kōfu, despite the reluctance of many vassals; the works, completed in eight months, were overseen by Sanada Masayuki. The fortress had a very short life: in spring 1582, facing the joint invasion of Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu, Katsuyori set it on fire himself and fled east, where he met his death. Built without stone walls, the site has kept its earthen ramparts and moats, a semicircular outwork in front of the main gate and two defensive projections to the north. Designated a National Historic Site in 1973 and selected among the Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles, it now hosts the Fujitake Shrine at the summit, surrounded by cherry trees.