Sakura Castle
Cost
free
Attractions > Other Cities and Areas > Japanese Castles > Chiba
About | Access | Hotels & Lodging | Hours & Fees
Sakura Castle
About
Sakura Castle or sometimes reffered to as Moto Sakura Castle is located in Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture about one hour from Tokyo. No structures of the original castle remain, the only visible aspects of the castle that you can view are Dry Moats and Ramparts (earthen embankments). If you are a tourist expecting to see a grand Donjon with walls and towers, visiting Sakura Castle will be a let-down but if you enjoy history and would like to see the area and ramparts where Sakura Castle once stood, walking through the extensive area is enjoyable. The National Museum of Japanese History is nearby on the same grounds and in the spring the park is very popular for Cherry Blossom viewing.
Completed in 1617, Sakura Castle was a key defensive castle protecting Edo's (i.e. Tokyo's) Eastern flank. The castle was a large complex ruled by lords all loyal to the Tokugawa Shogunate who controlled Japan at the time. The castle had no stone walls but it's main defence was large, deep and extensive Dry Moats and Ramparts. The castle was never attacked but mostly burned down by a fire in 1813 along with it's ordered destruction by the Emperor in the Meiji Era. From the early 1900's the area was converted into a modern army base and barracks until the end of World War 2.
Please visit our Japanese Castles page to find more castles in Japan.
Data
Name: Sakura Castle 佐倉城 (Sakura Jyou) or 本佐倉城 (Moto Sakura Jyou)
Original Year Built: Started in 1610, completed in 1617
Type: Flatland up high (on hill) 平山城
Class: (at it's peak) Medium Sized Castle
Main Tower Size: N/A (No main tower)
Features: Main Tower (Tenshu), Towers (Turrets), Gates, Bridges, Water Moats, Stone Walls
Condition: Original
Founder: Doi Toshikatsu of the Doi Clan under orders of the then Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Timeline
1610 - 1617 - Sakura Castle was built over the ruins of a castle called Kashima Castle the Chiba Clan never finished building.
1813 - Main Keep burned down.
1930s - Grounds turned into barracks for Japanese Imperial Army.
References
Chiba Memoir - the castle town Sakura
Access
Closest Train Station: Sakura
Jonaicho
Sakura-shi, Chiba 285-0017 Japan
From JR Sakura Station: 30 min. walk (2.2 kilometers, 1.4 miles)
From Keisei Sakura Station: 25 min. walk (1.9 kilometers, 1.2 miles)
Hotels & Lodging
Recommended
View a full list of Hotels and Lodging in or nearby Sakura Castle.
Hours & Fees
Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Closed: Jan. 1 - Jan. 3
Cost: Free
Information presented is based on the time it was created. There may be changes since publication. Please confirm information by visiting the Official Website before visiting.
Resources
Website: Sakura Castle Homepage
