Arato Castle Site 荒戸城跡 (既存看板の拠点)

At the top of the stairs is a path that was once the Mikuni Road, the major highway that connected Edo (now Tokyo) to the Sea of Japan. The path to the castle’s main gate leads off the Mikuni Road to the right and passes embankments that were dug to forestall attackers. The first of several leveled areas was once the castle’s second bailey. During construction, the vegetation here would have been left untouched to prevent soil erosion and to provide a defensive barrier. The remains of a well can be seen between the second and third baileys on the opposite side of a dry moat. Farther up the hill, on the summit, is the main bailey where defenders would have made their final stand.

During the castle’s construction, the trees on the slopes surrounding the main bailey were stripped away to be used as building materials and to clear the lines of fire. Earthen walls were constructed around the main bailey’s northern side, and a raised clearing that once held a signal tower is visible in one corner of the enclosure. The baileys were encircled by wooden palisades with loopholes and gun ports through which the defenders could fire on the enemy. The highway was once visible in all directions from the main bailey, but with the forest now regrown, only Yuzawa is visible to the north.