Attractions > Other Cities and Areas > Japanese Castles > Chiba

About | Access | Hotels & Lodging | Hours & Fees

The main Tenshu of Kururi Castle in Chiba Japan by Nesnad (CC BY-SA 3.0)

 

About

Although small, Kururi Castle has quite a history.  First established in the late 1400's by Takeda Nobunaga, his descendants ruled until 1540 when the Satomi Clan lead by Satomi Yoshitake took over the castle. Satomi used the castle as his "base" while fighting against the Hojo Clan who were based in Odawara. The Hojo attempted to take Kururi Castle on four occasions, but were unable to scale it's defences which on one side consists of a sheer cliff face. The Hojo finally seized the castle in 1564 after a month long siege involving the use of samurai infiltrators (ninja) who were able to taint the water supply and wreak havok from within the castle grounds. The Hojo lost the castle a mere three years later in 1567, when Satomi once again gained control of it by using his unique knowledge of the terrain and castle defences.

After the Hojo Clan fell to Toyotomi Hideyoshi the castle was taken and controlled by many factions going back and forth until the Meiji Restoration when it, along with many other castles was ordered to be destroyed.  The castle was reconstructed in 1977 to boost tourism but it is not historically accurate, although remnants of the original castle such as moats and earthen works. The structure itself is not that much to look at and it is a reconstruction but what the castle does have to offer is location and ambience.  From the top floor you can look out over the Chiba Pennisula and see wooded mountains and valleys.  You can also look down and see the town which used to be the old Kururi Castle town (like in the model in the museum lobby).

The castle is small and not "original" but the history and location it is in make it a worthy visit.  The castle sits upon a high hill over-looking a scenic valley and it is quite beautiful. If you happen to go there during the weekday you may be the only people there... bring your Ninja costume and a video camera and shoot some fun videos!

Please visit our Japanese Castles page to find more castles that are close to Tokyo.

 

Access

Closest Train Station: Kururi

Chiba 292-0422 Japan

Tel: 0439-27-3478

From Kururi Station on the Kururi Tetsudo (Kururi Train Line), it is approximately a 20 minute walk to the grounds and 10 minutes to the top.

Google Map

 

Hotels & Lodging

Recommended

View a full list of Hotels and Lodging in or nearby Kururi Castle.

 

Hours & Fees

Hours: (unknown) Best to arrive between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Cost: Free

Information presented is based on the time it was created. There may be changes since publication. Please confirm information by contacting the attraction before visiting.