Hazekata Gate

The single-story Hazekata Gate originally stood on the north side of the castle. It was moved here in 1962 to make way for the Kato Shrine, which was relocated from the city onto the castle grounds. The gate was damaged in the 2016 earthquake, but is scheduled to be repaired. The road leading to the gate makes a series of 90-degree turns. This is a deliberate device intended to slow down attackers, box them in, and give defenders an opportunity to fire on them. This feature in castle design is named masugata (“box-shape”), after a wooden box used to measure rice.