Iwabitsu Castle

Iwabitsu Castle (岩櫃城) is a "yamashiro" (castle on a mountaintop) located on Mount Iwabitsu in Higashiagatsuma, Gunma Prefecture, Japan.

History
Iwabitsu Castle was built in the fifteenth century by Azuma Taro Sukefusa of the Takeda clan. It later came under control of the Saitō clan (retainers of the Uesugi clan). The castle once again came under control of the Takeda Clan following a battle. Sanada Yukitaka became lord after this seizure. The Sanada clan, of whom Yuritaka was a member, retained control of the area after the Takeda Clan (with which the Sanada Clans was at first affiliated) collapsed by changing their loyalty to whichever clan seemed to have the upper hand. In 1615, however, Shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu declared that each province could have only one castle. As a result, the Sanada Clan dismantled Iwabitsu castle, preferring to instead retain Ueda Castle.

An interesting footnote of Iwabitsu Castles's history is that the legendary samurai Karasawa Genba was an officer at the castle.

Today, only ruins remain.