Saigagake: battlefield and archive hall

photo by 立花左近 · CC BY-SA 3.0

In 1572 a fake cloth bridge sent Takeda soldiers falling into the ravine at night.

The ravine, once more than 10 metres deep and 450 metres long, lies about a kilometre north-west of Hamamatsu Castle. According to tradition, in December 1572, after the Battle of Mikatagahara, the Tokugawa made a night attack on the Takeda camped here: a trick with a cloth bridge made the Takeda soldiers lose their bearings, and men and horses fell into the ravine. Every 15 July the 遠州大念仏 (Enshū Dainenbutsu), the Buddhist dance in memory of those who fell in the battle, is performed on the spot.

The site has been designated a 県指定史跡 (prefectural historic site) since 19 December 1939. Development of the surrounding area has reduced the ravine to a partial stretch of the original. The archive hall next to it, the 犀ヶ崖資料館, displays dioramas, videos and a replica of Ieyasu's sword relating to the Battle of Mikatagahara; the 遠州大念仏 held there every year is an intangible folk cultural property designated by the municipality, and is said to have begun as a way to console those who fell in the battle.

ℹ️ Archive hall open 9:00–17:00, free entry; closed on Mondays (the following day if it is a public holiday), the day after every national holiday and from 29 December to 3 January. The ravine and the battlefield are outdoors, with no opening hours and no ticket. About a kilometre north-west of Hamamatsu Castle; the municipality does not give a bus stop.

🚉 Enshubyoin · 23 min walk

Sources: city.hamamatsu.shizuoka.jp · city.hamamatsu.shizuoka.jp · 4travel.jp

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