Imada Castle Ruins

This castle ruin is located in the innermost part of Imada Valley in Kitahiroshima-cho, where the Imada clan was based during the Muromachi and Sengoku periods (15th to 16th centuries). The castle is built on a ridge extending southeastward from the highest point at an altitude of 461m (relative height 110m) overlooking the Imada River on the southern side of the innermost part of Imada Valley. In addition to enclosures 1 to 4, some remains of earthworks, wells, a tiger's mouth, and a vertical moat can be seen. The entire basin can be viewed from this castle ruin, which is within striking distance of Mibu Castle and Arita Castle. Terahara Castle and Hiyama Castle can also be seen in the distance to the north. This shows that Imada Castle was not only the base of control for the Imada clan, whose main territory was this valley, but also that it was built in an extremely suitable location for bonding with the local lords in the area and maintaining local order. The construction of the stone walls of the castle ruins is similar to that of the remains of Yoshikawa Motoharu's residence. To the left of the castle ruins are the remains of a garden with an artificial hill, pond, and waterway. Currently, the entire castle ruins are well preserved as a pine forest and rice fields.