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Built in the late 1570's by the feudal warlord Hojo Ujiteru of the powerful Hojo clan, Hachioji castle was a great sprawling castle built across an entire mountaintop. Taking advantage of the steep terrain and the mountain's several deep ravines, the castle grounds originally encompassed over 500 hectares of land spreading 2 kilometres east to west and 1km north to south. Stone barricades were built in strategic positions to stall would be attackers or spies, and several wooden towers were placed atop high points to warn of oncoming forces. Hachioji castle was one of the biggest defensive structures ever built during Japan's late feudal period. The 460 metre high mountain on which the castle was built is Mount Fukasawa but it is alternatively called Shiroyama which means "castle mountain."

Hachioji castle was a shijo, a satellite castle, which was a part of the huge Hojo clan network of castles spread across the Kanto plains. From their honjo (main castle) of Odawara, the Hojo ruled what was then the Sagami province. From Hachioji castle, Hojo Ujiteru ruled the western Kanto area all the way from the southern end of Musashi province (present-day Saitama prefecture) to present day Yokohama.

When Toyotomi Hideyoshi laid siege to Odawara castle in 1590, Hojo Ujiteru, Hojo Ujimasa and Hojo Ujinao headed off to Odawara leaving Hachioji castle nearly defenceless with around 1,300 samurai. Hideyoshi had anticipated this and had sent forces under the command of the warlords Maeda Toshiie and Uesugi Kagekatsu to Hachioji castle via the mountain trails that led to the north of the castle town. Hachioji castle came under attack from 50,000 of Hideyoshi's forces on June 23rd 1590 and fell in just 5 and a half hours.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi soon defeated the Hojo at Odawara castle leading to his unification of Japan. Toyotomi Hideyoshi fearing Hojo Ujiteru for his military prowess, demanded that both Ujiteru and his older brother Ujimasa commit seppuku (ritual suicide) as a condition of a peace treaty. On July 5, 1590 the two brothers each bathed, dressed in white, and composed their death poems. They committed seppuku at Odawara castle with their brother Hojo Ujinori as their kaishakunin (the attendant to behead them). It is recorded that when it was seen that Hojo Ujinori was about to join them in suicide (junshi) upon seeing that Hojo Ujinori was "brave and stalwart, showing no sign of fear or remorse," he was stopped by the general Ii Naomasa who grabbed his hand and removed his short sword.
Hideyoshi commanded that Hachioji castle be destroyed and began spreading rumours that it was haunted by the ghosts of the slain women and children as he worried that the castle could be used against him. For centuries afterwards, the entire mountain area remained abandoned because it was believed to be haunted by the ghosts of the slain women and children. Scrolls depicting the fall of Hachioji castle recount how villagers in the area could hear the sound of galloping horses, gunshots and screaming echoing throughout the mountain's forests long after the battle had ended. Even today, on June 23rd each year, households in the nearby Motohachioji district continue to practice the grim observance of preparing blood-coloured azukimeshi (red beans cooked with rice) to remember the slain defenders of Hachioji castle.
Over the last 420 odd years the castle was eventually reclaimed by nature and although the area was designated a historical landmark in 1951, it wasn't until the 1980's during a series of excavations that the true cultural value of the ruins were realised. Excavations on the site of the castle's palace revealed a treasure trove of priceless earthenware from Korea, China and even a Venetian glassware jug from Murano Italy - something very unique in 16th century Japan, having been found in only three other locations in the country.

Excavations soon uncovered the remains of huge stone walls, as well as an eight-metre-wide road that led to a stone stairway below the castle's main gate, the remains of which can be seen today. There are a few small places where the remains of stone walls around the very top of the mountain can be seen, but little remains and much is still inaccessible.
Spears, swords, pieces of armour, arrows, tools, and hundreds of pieces of broken lacquerware have been found on the mountain. In 1993 a pit filled with the remains of banquets shed some light on the types of dishes that were served in the castle palace. Numerous wild boar, dog, deer, and pheasant bones were found together with shards of clay pottery and fine china plates - some of which were dated and signed.

Not far from the castle site are the graves of Hojo Ujiteru along with the graves of the other Hojo family members who lived at Hachioji castle. The ancient castle roads built alongside the Shiroyama River which led to the castle, and the castle's wonderfully reconstructed hikibashi bridge, which leads to the stone

The Toy Strewn House

Give me the house where the toys are strewn
Where the dolls are asleep in the chairs
Where the building blocks and the toy balloons
And the soldiers guard the stairs.

Let me step in the house where they tiny cart
With its horses rules the floor
And the rest comes into my weary heart
For I am at home once more.

Give me the house with the toys about
With the battered old train of cars
The box of paints and the books left out
And the ship with her broken spars;

Let me step in a house at the close of day
That is littered with children’s toys
And dwell once more in the house of play
With the echoes of gone by noise

Whoever has lived in a toy strewn home
Though feeble he be and gray
Will yearn no matter how far he roams
For the glorious disarray

If the little home with the littered floor
That was his in the by gone days
And his heart will throb as it throbbed before
When he rests where a baby plays

I found this lovely poem in the net, but not the author's name. Does anybody know anything about it? I think it was written in or about 1916...