🗺️ Ueda Castle

Ueda Castle was built by Sanada Masayuki in 1583 and is famous for having repelled the armies of Tokugawa Ieyasu twice during the First and Second Battles of Ueda, becoming known as an impregnable fortress. Although it was destroyed after the Battle of Sekigahara, it was later restored by the feudal lord Senkoku Tadamasa, who succeeded the Sanada clan, and then passed on to the Matsudaira clan, welcoming the Meiji Restoration. Today, the castle site is surrounded by cherry blossoms and zelkova trees, maintained as a park filled with blooming flowers and lush greenery. In spring, the Ueda Castle Senbonzakura Festival is held, and in autumn, the Ueda Castle Akiba Festival takes place. Additionally, in the 2009 animated film "Summer Wars," Ueda Castle appears as the entrance to the protagonist's family home, the "Jinnai Family," becoming a pilgrimage site for many fans. Visitors can explore the interiors of the observation towers "Minami Yagura" and "Kita Yagura," as well as the stone wall related to Sanada Masayuki, known as "Sanada Stone." The "Akimoto Kozaburo Memorial Museum," dedicated to a military scholar from the late Edo period, and the "Ueda City Museum," which displays historical materials related to the Ueda domain, including armor worn by the successive lords of Ueda Castle, are also very interesting.

Built by the Japanese Warring States period warlord Sanada Masayuki, this impregnable famous castle can be visited. You can explore the watchtower, the turret gate, and the stone wall related to Sanada Masayuki known as "Sanada Stone." It also appeared in the movie "Summer Wars" and has recently become famous as a pilgrimage site.