Niwanaji Castle

Niwanaji Castle [にわなじ・がり / Sunpaku: にわなじ・おどく] is a Summui castle located in the city of Nasamazu on Dainan in Zōhai Prefecture. It is located on the northern edge of Kandō Harbour.
The fortification was constructed in 1667 by the Summui King Danzen. It was built to defend the port and the city of Nasamazu, alongside a number of villages situated around the coast at that time. A large iron chain gate could be drawn up over the harbour entrance, operated from Niwanaji Castle to deny ships' entry. It was also armed with small cannons. The defending guards and soldiers were often armed with pikes and long-range weapons such as crossbows. These defenses were successful in driving away the fleet of Wakana during their 1699 invasion. The walls surrounding the harbour, although once built for protection, became generally used by civilians from the 19th century to watch the departure and arrival of ships.
After the Summui Kingdom was annexed by Japan in 1710, the castle was seized by the national government and gentrified considerably, being stripped of its defenses and transformed into a storage space. By the 1860s, the site had been opened for public visitation.
Category:Castles & Forts