Yagyu Furushiro Castle: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 21:12, 2 September 2025

From the Yagyu Higashi bus stop sign, follow the stairs up to the hiking trail. It’s a short walk to the ruins with only a slight climb. The horikiri (trench cuts) are very well preserved and arguably make this the highlight of the Yagyu castles, despite being less well known. Clear some of the tree

History

Local legend (and a sign at the site) attributes the castle to the Nanbokucho Period, when Emperor Go-Daigo sought refuge at Kasagidera during the Genko War. Some have also considered it a satellite fortification of Yagyu Castle. However, the horikiri, especially the dogleg yokobori trench, and other earthworks are clearly Sengoku Period. It was most likely built by Matsunaga Hisahide to control the crossroads where it sits (近畿の城郭II). The east–west route connects Nara and Iga, while the north–south route links the Yagyu Valley with Kasagidera. Afterwards, it was most likely a satellite fortification of Yagyu Castle to continue monitoring the crossroads.

Field Notes

From the Yagyu Higashi bus stop sign, follow the stairs up to the hiking trail. It’s a short walk to the ruins with only a slight climb. The horikiri (trench cuts) are very well preserved and arguably make this the highlight of the Yagyu castles, despite being less well known. Clear some of the trees and it’s obvious the castle once commanded the crossroads below. Buses from Nara are infrequent, so plan your trip carefully. Nearby is the fascinating old Yagyu Kodo stone-paved road, which looks ideal for hiking. You could also hike to Kasagiyama Castle, which was my original plan for the day—until it started snowing.

The name Furushiro in Japanese implies an older castle than Yagyu Catsle but it was likely a contemporary and even newer than Yagyu Castle itself. Combine this site with visits to Yagyu Castle and Yagyu Jin'ya for a full picture of Yagyu history.

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Gallery

Castle Profile
English Name	Yagyu Furushiro Castle
Japanese Name	柳生古城
Founder	Matsunaga Hisahide
Year Founded	1558–1570
Castle Type	Mountaintop
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Features	trenches
Visitor Information
Access	Yagyu Bus Stop (Nara Kotsu Bus from Kintetsu Nara Station); 5 min walk to trailhead
Hours	Mountain trails, limited signage
Time Required	30 mins
URL	Castle Website
Location	Nara, Nara Prefecture
Coordinates	34.7363, 135.9539
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2025
Contributor	Eric
Admin Year Visited	2025
Admin Visits	February 11, 2025
Friends of JCastle
Jokaku Horoki

2.00

(one vote)

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@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 |English Name=Yagyu Furushiro Castle
 |Japanese Name=柳生古城
-|Romaji Name=yagyu furushiro
+|Romaji Name=Yagyū Furushiro
 |Founder=Matsunaga Hisahide
-|Year Founded=1558-1570
+|Year Founded=1558–1570
 |Castle Type=Mountaintop
 |Castle Condition=Ruins only
 |Historical Period=Pre Edo Period
 |Features=trenches
-|Access=Yagyu Bus Stop (Nara Katsu Bus from Kintetsu Nara Station); 5 min walk to trail head
+|Access=Yagyu Bus Stop (Nara Kotsu Bus from Kintetsu Nara Station); 5 min walk to trailhead
-|Visitor Information=mountain trails
+|Visitor Information=Mountain trails, limited signage
 |Time Required=30 mins
+|Website=https://www.yagyukanko.com/観光スポット/主要地区/#13
 |City=Nara
 |Prefecture=Nara Prefecture
-|Notes=From the Yagyu Higashi bus stop sign just follow the stairs up to the hiking trail. It's a quick walk to the castle ruins and not much uphill.  The trenches are very well preserved and probably make it the highlight of the castles in Yagyu, despite being less well known. Clear some of the trees and it's obvious that this castle would have had a commanding view of the roads below.
+|Notes=From the Yagyu Higashi bus stop sign, follow the stairs up to the hiking trail. It’s a short walk to the ruins with only a slight climb. The horikiri (trench cuts) are very well preserved and arguably make this the highlight of the Yagyu castles, despite being less well known. Clear some of the trees and it’s obvious the castle once commanded the crossroads below. Buses from Nara are infrequent, so plan your trip carefully. Nearby is the fascinating old Yagyu Kodo stone-paved road, which looks ideal for hiking. You could also hike to Kasagiyama Castle, which was my original plan for the day—until it started snowing.
-|History=Local legend (and a sign at the site) attribute the castle to the Nanbokucho Period when emperor Go-Daigo sought refuge at Kasagidera during the Genko War. It may have also been built as a satellite fortification of [[Yagyu Castle]]. However, the horikiri, especially the dogleg trench, and earthworks are clearly Sengoku Period. It was likely built by Matsunaga Hisahide to control the major cross roads where it sits.  (近畿の城郭II) The east-west route goes from Nara to Iga and the North-South route connects the Yagyu valley to Kasagidera.
+The name ''Furushiro'' in Japanese implies an older castle than [[Yagyu Catsle]] but it was likely a contemporary and even newer than [[Yagyu Castle]] itself. Combine this site with visits to [[Yagyu Castle]] and [[Yagyu Jin'ya]] for a full picture of Yagyu history.
+|History=Local legend (and a sign at the site) attributes the castle to the Nanbokucho Period, when Emperor Go-Daigo sought refuge at Kasagidera during the Genko War. Some have also considered it a satellite fortification of [[Yagyu Castle]]. However, the horikiri, especially the dogleg yokobori trench, and other earthworks are clearly Sengoku Period. It was most likely built by Matsunaga Hisahide to control the crossroads where it sits (近畿の城郭II). The east–west route connects Nara and Iga, while the north–south route links the Yagyu Valley with Kasagidera. Afterwards, it was most likely a satellite fortification of [[Yagyu Castle]] to continue monitoring the crossroads.
 |Year Visited=2025
 |AddedJcastle=2025