Qualla: Takiyama Castle: The Fortress That Fooled 20,000 Soldiers

Takiyama Castle: The Fortress That Fooled 20,000 Soldiers: Introduction

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Akonnchiroll, CC BY 4.0. In the autumn of 1569, Takeda Shingen -- the Tiger of Kai, one of the most feared warlords in Japan -- sent 20,000 soldiers under the command of his son Katsuyori to seize a castle on a ridge above the Tama River in western Musashi Province. The Takeda army crossed the river and deployed along the opposite bank. Inside the fortress, Hojo Ujiteru's garrison braced for a devastating assault. It never came. The entire force was a feint. Shingen's real target was Odawara Castle, far to the south, and the army at Takiyama existed only to pin down Hojo troops and prevent reinforcement. When Shingen's siege of Odawara collapsed after a week, the forces at Takiyama quietly withdrew. The castle that stood against 20,000 men was never actually attacked -- and that bluff, five centuries ago, is what makes Takiyama Castle one of the most fascinating ruins in Tokyo.

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Image: Akonnchiroll | CC BY 4.0

Takiyama Castle: The Fortress That Fooled 20,000 Soldiers: A Ridge Between Two Rivers

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit 星組背番号10, CC BY-SA 3.0. Takiyama Castle sits on a long forested ridge south of the Tama River, near the confluence where the Tama flowing from the Ome direction meets the Aki River descending from the Okutama mountains. The site is within the borders of Takiyama Prefectural Natural Park, and the surroun...

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Image: 星組背番号10 | CC BY-SA 3.0

Takiyama Castle: The Fortress That Fooled 20,000 Soldiers: The Oishi Clan's Stronghold

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit 柴錬アワー, CC BY-SA 4.0. During the Muromachi period, western Musashi Province was controlled by the Oishi clan, vassals of the Ogigayatsu branch of the powerful Uesugi clan and shugodai -- provincial military governors -- of the region. In 1521, Oishi Sadashige constructed Takiyama Castle to replace an ...

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Image: 柴錬アワー | CC BY-SA 4.0

Takiyama Castle: The Fortress That Fooled 20,000 Soldiers: Layers of Earth and Ambition

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit 柴錬アワー, CC BY-SA 4.0. Ujiteru transformed the castle. Where the Oishi had built a modest hilltop fort, the Hojo warlord added a Ninomaru (second bailey), Sannomaru (third bailey), and Komiya Kuruwa (Komiya enclosure). Each new section was surrounded by deep dry moats and earthen ramparts. Every gate r...

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Image: 柴錬アワー | CC BY-SA 4.0

Takiyama Castle: The Fortress That Fooled 20,000 Soldiers: Shingen's Bluff

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Wae35244, CC BY-SA 4.0. The Siege of Todoroki in 1569 was Takiyama's greatest moment, and it was built on deception. Takeda Shingen wanted Odawara Castle, the Hojo seat of power on the coast. To prevent the Hojo forces garrisoned in the interior from reinforcing Odawara, Shingen dispatched his son Katsu...

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Image: Wae35244 | CC BY-SA 4.0

Takiyama Castle: The Fortress That Fooled 20,000 Soldiers: Ruins in the Forest

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit 柴錬アワー, CC BY-SA 4.0. Takiyama Castle was eventually superseded by the larger Hachioji Castle, and its military importance faded. But the ruins endured. The forested ridge preserved the earthworks far better than urban development would have, and today the site offers one of Tokyo's most remarkable wa...

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Image: 柴錬アワー | CC BY-SA 4.0