Kasugayama Castle

Kasugayama Castle
春日山城
Jōetsu, Niigata, Japan
300px An old print showing Kasugayama Castle, built by Uesugi Kenshin.
Type	Japanese castle
Site information
Controlled by	Nagao clan, Uesugi clan, Hori clan
Condition	Ruins; only earthwork walls and dry moat remain
Site history
Built	Year Unknown
Built by	Nagao clan
In use	until 1607
Garrison information
Past commanders	Uesugi Kenshin, Uesugi Kagekatsu

Kasugayama Castle (春日山城, Kasugayama-jō) was the primary fortress of the Japanese warlord Uesugi Kenshin during the Sengoku period. It is situated in what is now the city of Jōetsu, Niigata prefecture, and was originally built and ruled by the Nagao clan.

Uesugi Kenshin, who was originally Nagao Kagetora, became the lord of the castle in 1548. After his death in 1578, his nephew Uesugi Kagekatsu gained control of it, after a brief series of battles with Uesugi Kagetora, Kenshin's adopted son, over the inheritance. Twenty years later, the Hori clan became the lords of Kasugayama; but they decided it was not a good place to rule from, so they built a new castle at Fukushima and, in 1607, Kasugayama's last castle lords left.

The castle is unofficially called Hachigamine Castle, the name Kasuga (lit. spring day) coming from a connection to Kasuga Taisha, a major Shinto shrine in Nara.

Significance

Kasugayama Castle is regarded as among Japan's Five Greatest Mountain Castles, along with Nanao Castle, Odani Castle, Kannonji Castle and Gassantoda Castle.