Type: Mountain Castle
Build in: 1560
Yamanaka Castle was built for the protection of Odawara Castle. It is located on the Tokaido Line. This castle was defeated by Hideyoshi during the battle of Odawara in 1590.
This castle has the almost the complete structures of the middle age mountain castle. There is no stone wall used in this castle, but uses lots of dirt hills, and dry moats. Unlike other mountain castles, this castle was not placed on the top of the mountain, but slope of the mountain. This is because this castle was not only for the protection, but also designed as the gate of Sagami area.
Honmaru (Main Bailey)
Honmaru and Ninomaru (2nd Bailey) were divided by a dry moat and connected by dirt bridge. Ninomaru was built by flattening the mountain top. Still for the purpose of the defense, the area was still form a slope.
Tenshukaku (Main Keep) was built on the top of the mountain (586m from the sea level).
Nishinomaru (West Bailey)
... one of the biggest bailey with excellent view of the area. This bailey has 3 small C shape baileys around it. All the moat was also the water way and designed to flow water to a water storage.
Taizaki Demaru (Additional Bailey)
... was built suddenly for preparing the battle of Odawara against Hideyoshi.
The structures of the bailey are well preserved and you can see the combination of dry moat and dirt hills of Hojo style Castle.