Uraga Castle was a mountain castle from the late Sengoku period located in Higashi-Uraga, Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture. Built on Myojin-yama (approximately 55 meters above sea level) within the grounds of the current Higashi-Kanou Shrine, the castle boasted a strategic location overlooking the entrance to Uraga Port, offering a panoramic view from the Uraga Channel to the Boso Peninsula.
Uraga Castle, used by the Later Hojo clan as a base for controlling the Miura Peninsula, was not merely a military facility, but a complex coastal defense base integrating the monitoring of maritime traffic and the operation of the navy. The castle ruins still retain remnants such as earthworks and dry moats, making it a valuable historical site that conveys the coastal defense strategy of the Sengoku period.
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There are various theories regarding the origin of Uraga Castle, but it is believed that a fort built by the Miura clan originally stood on this site. The Miura clan, who ruled the Miura Peninsula, likely established some kind of military facility in Uraga, a strategic point for maritime traffic, during the Kamakura and Muromachi periods. It is believed that Uraga Castle later developed on this foundation.
The Miura clan was known as a leading naval force in Sagami Province, and Uraga was ideally located for monitoring the Uraga Strait, which connects Tokyo Bay and the Pacific Ocean. This geographical advantage led to the later development of castles by the Hojo clan.
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Uraga Castle is a mountain castle that skillfully utilizes the natural topography of Myojin-yama. Although it is a relatively low mountain with an elevation of approximately 55 meters, the surrounding area is surrounded by the sea and plains, resulting in a significant relative difference in elevation and making it a terrain well-suited for defense.
The mountaintop is a long, narrow ridge running north-south, and the main enclosures were located on this ridge. The eastern side is a steep slope facing Uraga Port, and the western side is also a relatively steep slope, functioning as a natural defensive wall. The routes that attackers could climb were limited, making it a terrain advantageous to the defenders.