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Nuttajo Castle Ruins and Miura Yoshizumi: The 1180 Maritime Escape After the Fall of Kinugasa That Enabled the Kamakura Shogunate's Founding
Nuttajo Castle served as the naval base from which Miura Yoshizumi escaped by sea to join Yoritomo in Awa Province after the fall of Kinugasa Castle in 1180. The place name Funagura preserves the memory of this escape. This article examines the Miura clan's role in the founding period and the decision that made Yoritomo's entry into Kamakura possible.
武
Author
Taketoki
| Samurai History
Contents
MOKUJI
1
The Crisis of 1180
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2
The Place Name "Funagura"
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3
Nuttajo Castle Ruins Today
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4
Related Spots to Visit
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5
Frequently Asked Questions
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Minamoto no Yoritomo, who recovered his strength in Boso after the Miura forces joined him and subsequently entered Kamakura
Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
In the hilly terrain of Ikeda-machi in Yokosuka, the ruins of Nuttajo Castle survive. This castle served as the naval base from which Miura Yoshizumi made his escape by sea during the crisis of 1180. His decision to withdraw here after the fall of Kinugasa Castle — and then to cross Sagami Bay by boat to reach Yoritomo in Awa Province — was a link in the chain of events that enabled Yoritomo’s entry into Kamakura and the founding of the shogunate.
The Crisis of 1180
When Minamoto no Yoritomo raised his banner in Izu in the eighth month of 1180, the Miura clan chose to join him. The clan patriarch, Miura Yoshiaki, was eighty-nine years old; his son Yoshizumi would carry the decision through. After Yoritomo’s defeat at Ishibashiyama, forces under Hatakeyama Shigetada besieged Kinugasa Castle. Yoshiaki ordered Yoshizumi and the rest of the clan to escape and join Yoritomo, while he himself stayed to die in the castle.
Hatakeyama Shigetada, who besieged Kinugasa Castle against Miura Yoshiaki — later killed by the Hojo in 1205
Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
The surviving Miura warriors withdrew south to Nuttajo Castle, a natural stronghold enclosed on three sides by steep heights and open on one side to the sea. In the valley called “Funakura” — origin of the present place name “Funagura” — boats were ready. Yoshizumi crossed Sagami Bay to reach Yoritomo in Boso.
The Place Name “Funagura”
The present place name “Funagura” in Yokosuka is said to derive directly from Yoshizumi’s maritime escape. In an era when sea travel was far faster and safer than overland movement, Nuttajo’s coastal position gave it a decisive strategic advantage.
Shomyoji Temple (Kanazawa Ward, Yokohama), a Kamakura-period temple that inherited the warrior faith traditions of the Miura Peninsula
Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
After Yoritomo regrouped in Boso, the arrival of Yoshizumi and the Miura forces significantly reinforced his strength. Yoritomo subsequently entered Kamakura and established the shogunate. Yoshizumi was later selected as one of the Thirteen Lords after Yoritomo’s death — confirming that his service from the founding crisis onward was consistently recognized.
Nuttajo Castle Ruins Today
Hojo Masako, wife of Yoritomo whom Yoshizumi joined by sea in 1180 and the spiritual pillar of the shogunate
Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
The ruins preserve the natural topography — an isolated plateau surrounded by sharp terrain — and are frequented by history hikers. Combining a visit here with Kinugasa Castle allows visitors to grasp the full spatial scale of the 1180 campaign.
Hojo Yoshitoki, the second regent who formed the Council of Thirteen alongside Miura Yoshizumi
Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
Related Spots to Visit
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Nuttajo Castle Ruins (Yokosuka) — The naval base from which Yoshizumi escaped by sea
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Kinugasa Castle (Yokosuka) — The main Miura castle where Yoshiaki died
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Tsurugaoka Hachimangu (Kamakura) — Spiritual center established by Yoritomo after entering Kamakura
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Hatakeyama Shigetada Commemorative Park (Yokohama) — Later fate of the commander who besieged Kinugasa
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Shomyoji Temple (Kanazawa Ward, Yokohama) — Historic temple of the eastern warrior tradition
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of castle was Nuttajo?
A natural stronghold enclosed on three sides by steep rocky heights and open on one side to the sea, functioning as a naval base with boat storage facilities.
Why did Yoshizumi escape from Nuttajo rather than Kinugasa?
Kinugasa was inland; land escape was blocked by Hatakeyama’s forces. Nuttajo’s coastal position allowed Yoshizumi to bypass the encirclement by crossing Sagami Bay.
Does the place name Funagura still exist?
Yes, it survives as a place name in Yokosuka, preserving the memory of Yoshizumi’s maritime escape.
What did Yoshizumi do afterward?
After joining Yoritomo he served as a core figure in the shogunate’s founding. After Yoritomo’s death in 1199 he was selected as one of the Thirteen Lords who formed the collegial governing council.
Last updated: May 22, 2026
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武
Author
Taketoki（たけとき）
Samurai History
Toku editorial team — samurai history. Insists on primary sources and castle-layout diagrams, walking battlefields from Yoritomo's Izu exile sites to the late-Edo battlegrounds.
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Visit Related Places
History truly comes alive when you visit in person. Choose your next destination from the related sites and pilgrimage courses below.
1. Nutta Castle Ruins
The Miura naval base at Nutta Castle — after Kinugasa Castle fell in 1180, Miura Yoshizumi retreated here and escaped by ship to join Yoritomo in Awa, a pivotal moment for the Kamakura shogunate's founding.
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2. Kinugasa Castle
The Miura clan's stronghold where Yoshiaki died at 89 enabling Yoritomo's entry into Kamakura — a medieval mountain castle embodying Miura loyalty
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3. Hatakeyama Shigetada Historic Park
National Historic Site marking where Hatakeyama Shigetada — 'the mirror of Bando warriors' — was ambushed and killed by Hojo Tokimasa's forces at Futamatagawa in 1205
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4. Shomyoji
Pure Land garden and Kanazawa Bunko library of the Hojo clan
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