Oiwayama Fort: Difference between revisions
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|Japanese Name=大岩山砦 | |Japanese Name=大岩山砦 | ||
|Romaji Name=Ōiwayama Toride | |Romaji Name=Ōiwayama Toride | ||
|Founder=Toyotomi Hideyoshi | |Founder=Toyotomi Hideyoshi | ||
|Year Founded=1583 | |Year Founded=1583 | ||
|Castle Type=Mountaintop | |Castle Type=Mountaintop | ||
|Castle Condition=Ruins only | |Castle Condition=Ruins only | ||
|Historical Period=Pre Edo Period | |Historical Period=Pre Edo Period | ||
|Access=JR Yogo Station | |Access=JR Yogo Station | ||
|Visitor Information= | |Visitor Information=mountain trails, well signposted | ||
|Time Required=20 mins | |Time Required=20 mins | ||
|City=Nagahama | |City=Nagahama | ||
|Prefecture=Shiga Prefecture | |Prefecture=Shiga Prefecture | ||
|Notes=The castle site itself is quite small and requires only about 20 minutes to view it in its entirety. To reach the castle you need to either hike 2km downhill from [[Shizugatake Fort]] or 1.1 km up from [[Iwasakiyama Fort]]. The main enclosure is well maintained and signposted but the side baileys are overgrown and hard to get into. | |||
|History=Ōiwayama Fort (大岩山砦) was one of the key mountaintop positions in Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s (羽柴秀吉) second defensive line during the Battle of Shizugatake (賤ヶ岳の戦い) in 1583. Situated on a high ridge north of Shizugatake Fort, it guarded the middle point of the defensive arc stretching from Shizugatake to Iwasakiyama Fort, overlooking Lake Yogo (余呉湖) and the valley routes below. | |||
The fort was commanded by Nakagawa Kiyohide (中川清秀), one of Hideyoshi’s most trusted retainers. On the morning of April 20, Shibata Katsuie’s general Sakuma Morimasa (佐久間盛政) launched a bold flanking attack, bypassing the well-defended Shizugatake summit and striking directly at Ōiwayama via the lakeside route. In a brutal and chaotic fight, Nakagawa was killed in action, making Ōiwayama Fort the first and only major position on Hideyoshi’s line to fall during the battle. | |||
The loss of Kiyohide was a heavy blow, but it also triggered Hideyoshi’s famed counteroffensive. Having just returned from Ōgaki (大垣大返し), Hideyoshi quickly assessed the situation, regrouped his troops from Tagamiyama Fort, and launched a rapid pursuit that ultimately routed Sakuma’s forces and turned the tide of the campaign. | |||
Today, Ōiwayama Fort remains a powerful symbol of the cost of the battle—and a key vantage point to understand the terrain-based tactics of the time. | |||
|Year Visited=2024 | |||
|AddedJcastle=2025 | |||
|Visits=April 29, 2024 | |||
|GPSLocation=35.52077, 136.20507 | |||
|Contributor=Eric | |Contributor=Eric | ||
}} | }} | ||
Revision as of 15:11, 15 June 2025
The castle site itself is quite small and requires only about 20 minutes to view it in its entirety. To reach the castle you need to either hike 2km downhill from Shizugatake Fort or 1.1 km up from Iwasakiyama Fort. The main enclosure is well maintained and signposted but the side baileys a
History
Ōiwayama Fort (大岩山砦) was one of the key mountaintop positions in Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s (羽柴秀吉) second defensive line during the Battle of Shizugatake (賤ヶ岳の戦い) in 1583. Situated on a high ridge north of Shizugatake Fort, it guarded the middle point of the defensive arc stretching from Shizugatake to Iwasakiyama Fort, overlooking Lake Yogo (余呉湖) and the valley routes below.
The fort was commanded by Nakagawa Kiyohide (中川清秀), one of Hideyoshi’s most trusted retainers. On the morning of April 20, Shibata Katsuie’s general Sakuma Morimasa (佐久間盛政) launched a bold flanking attack, bypassing the well-defended Shizugatake summit and striking directly at Ōiwayama via the lakeside route. In a brutal and chaotic fight, Nakagawa was killed in action, making Ōiwayama Fort the first and only major position on Hideyoshi’s line to fall during the battle.
The loss of Kiyohide was a heavy blow, but it also triggered Hideyoshi’s famed counteroffensive. Having just returned from Ōgaki (大垣大返し), Hideyoshi quickly assessed the situation, regrouped his troops from Tagamiyama Fort, and launched a rapid pursuit that ultimately routed Sakuma’s forces and turned the tide of the campaign.
Today, Ōiwayama Fort remains a powerful symbol of the cost of the battle—and a key vantage point to understand the terrain-based tactics of the time.
Field Notes
The castle site itself is quite small and requires only about 20 minutes to view it in its entirety. To reach the castle you need to either hike 2km downhill from Shizugatake Fort or 1.1 km up from Iwasakiyama Fort. The main enclosure is well maintained and signposted but the side baileys are overgrown and hard to get into.
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Oiwayama Fort |
| Japanese Name | 大岩山砦 |
| Founder | Toyotomi Hideyoshi |
| Year Founded | 1583 |
| Castle Type | Mountaintop |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Features | |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | JR Yogo Station |
| Hours | mountain trails, well signposted |
| Time Required | 20 mins |
| Location | Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 35.52077, 136.20507 |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2025 |
| Contributor | Eric |
| Admin Year Visited | 2024 |
| Admin Visits | April 29, 2024 |
