Benten Daiba

Benten Daiba (弁天台場) was a coastal battery constructed in the late Edo period in what is now Benten-chō (弁天町), Hakodate City, Hokkaido, as one of a group of coastal fortifications built to defend the northern territories of Ezo (modern Hokkaido) against the increasing presence of foreign ships. Initially a small-scale Japanese-style battery, in Bakumatsu (幕末), it was rebuilt as part of coastal defense enhancements following the opening of Hakodate Port to counter foreign vessels entering the port. Subsequently, it became a central component of Hakodate Bay's defenses and, during the Hakodate War (箱館戦争, Last phase of Boshin War at Oshima peninsula), served as a key defensive facility for the former-shogunate forces (旧幕府軍), engaging in fierce battles with the new government's naval fleet (see below). It is also known as Benten Misaki Daiba (弁天岬台場), Benten Zaki Daiba (弁天崎台場). The reconstruction was designed by Takeda Ayasaburō (武田 斐三郎).

Text adapted from “Benten Daiba” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Benten Daiba ranks #3,015 of 8,133 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #160 of the 297 mapped in Japan. Founded 1863, it is older than 7% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 607 atlas entries founded in the 19th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 1,448 times in the last 60 days, more than 58% of the atlas. 3 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. See how Japan compares in the castle statistics.

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Read the full history on Wikipedia ↗