Designated as a National Historical Site on September 30, 2004.
Area: 1,287,382.77 square meters
Wakimoto Castle used to be a vast mountain castle that looked down over the Sea of Japan from a height of 100 meters. It was located between Hiyama Castle (Noshiro City) and Minato Castle (Tsuchizaki, Akita City) and was the main castle for the Ando clan who ruled the northern and central areas of Akita from the 14th to the 16th century. The original castle was substantially reinforced by Chikasue Shimonokuni-Ando (Hiyama-Ando) in 1577. Some enclosures, mounds, and empty wells from the 16th century are still visible. Archaeological excavations unearthed the remains of dug-standing pillar buildings, walls, fences, and hardware and weapons made of ceramics, metal, and wood.
From the Uchidate section, we can see Mt. Shinzan and Mt. Honzan to the west, Hachirogata (the present day Ogata Village) and Mt. Moriyoshi to the east, and Mt. Chokai to the south across the Sea of Japan, which draws the border line between Akita and Yamagata prefecture. Such a great landscape explains why the Ando clan who developed their power along the coastline chose this place as their headquarters.
For more information: Cultural Assets Service Section, Division of Life-long Learning Service, Oga City Board of Education, Tel: 0185-24-9103
