Kurumamon Gate

Main supply entrance to the castle, its name meaning 'vehicle gate' for the carts of goods that passed through it. Facing both the Senba River and the Saikoku Kaido road, it handled both land and water traffic. The design is more complex than other castle gates: three gateways rather than two, plus a waterside entrance where the daimyo lords would board boats to travel downriver. The innermost gateway was topped by a watchtower. This layered arrangement of gates and courtyards served to slow and inspect anyone entering the castle's core.