Kawanakajima

Located about 5km south of Nagano city, this area is sandwiched between the Chikuma River and the Sai River. The old Kawanakajima Town was located in part of this area. It is now Kawanakajima Town, Nagano City. It is famous as the site of the Battle of Kawanakajima, where Takeda Shingen of Kai and Nagao Kagetora (later Uesugi Kenshin) of Echigo fought during the Sengoku period. It faces Matsushiro across the Chikuma River. At the time of the battle, the area was the riverbeds and wilderness of the two rivers, but now it is a purely rural area with rice paddies and apple orchards. The center of the battle has been developed into Hachimanbara Historical Site Park, and the city museum is located in one corner. In the forest of the park, there is a Hachiman shrine, and there is the remains of the Mitachi Nanatachi swords, as well as a nearby mound said to be the burial site of those killed in battle. The alluvial fan is well-connected with the JR Shinetsu Main Line and National Route 18, and there is a network of buses running from Nagano City.

[Hiroyoshi Kobayashi]

"A Journey to the Battlefield of Kawanakajima" by Tadachika Kuwata (1969, Akita Publishing)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

長野市街地の南方約5キロメートルの地点で、千曲川(ちくまがわ)と犀川(さいがわ)の両河川に挟まれた一帯の地域。この一部に旧川中島町があった。現在は長野市川中島町。戦国時代甲斐(かい)の武田信玄(たけだしんげん)と、越後(えちご)の長尾景虎(ながおかげとら)（後の上杉謙信(うえすぎけんしん)）が戦った「川中島の戦い」の古戦場として名高い。千曲川を隔てて松代(まつしろ)と相対している。合戦当時は両河川の河川敷や原野であったが、いまは水田やリンゴ畑の純農村部をなす。合戦の中心地は八幡原史跡公園(はちまんばらしせきこうえん)として整備され、一角に市立博物館が設けられている。公園の森の中に八幡社が祀(まつ)られ、三太刀七太刀(みたちななたち)跡や、近くに戦死者を葬った首塚と伝えられるものがある。扇状地にはJR信越本線、国道18号などが通り、長野市からバスが網状に走っていて交通の便はよい。

［小林寛義］

『桑田忠親著『川中島古戦場の旅』（1969・秋田書店）』

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