Yakami Castle: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 15:02, 17 May 2025

The trail up to Yakami Castle is well maintained, with clear signage marking all the major baileys. However, the kyokan area at the base of the mountain deserves more attention. Off the main path, there are interesting earthworks you can discover by straying from the established route. Given the siz

History

The Hatano clan, originally from Iwami Province, rose to prominence after aligning with Hosokawa Masamoto during the Ōnin War. Following the conflict, they were granted territory in central Tanba and established a power base at Yakami Castle — a formidable mountaintop overlooking the fertile plain of what is now Tanba-Sasayama. Strategically positioned at a chokepoint on one of the main roads into Kyoto, the site later drew the attention of the Tokugawa Bakufu, which selected nearby Sasayama castle as the location for one of its key Tenkabushin (天下普請) castles in the Edo period.

By the mid-1500s, the Hatano had consolidated control over much of the Tanba highlands and the Sasayama plain. They emerged as one of the region’s most powerful Sengoku-period daimyō, but their resistance to Oda Nobunaga’s authority placed them directly in his path during his western campaigns.

In 1575, Nobunaga ordered Akechi Mitsuhide to subjugate Tanba. Mitsuhide’s initial attempt failed due to difficult terrain, local uprisings, and overextended supply lines. Yakami and neighboring Kuroi Castle withstood the assault.

In February 1578, renewed resistance flared across Tanba. Nobunaga again dispatched Mitsuhide, this time with orders to crush the Hatano clan entirely. Mitsuhide laid siege to Yakami Castle in March, cutting off supplies and waiting the defenders out. Over the course of a grueling year-long siege, it is said that more than 500 samurai perished from starvation. Eventually, a traitor from within the castle opened negotiations with Mitsuhide, leading to the Hatano’s surrender.

Mitsuhide, honoring his promise, escorted the Hatano brothers to Azuchi Castle under assurances of clemency. However, Nobunaga — perhaps viewing the Hatano as a lingering threat — ordered their execution in Kyoto. This perceived betrayal by Nobunaga is frequently cited as one of the grievances that later motivated Mitsuhide’s own betrayal at Honnō-ji in 1582.

A local legend adds further drama to this episode, claiming that Hatano retainers, in revenge, captured Mitsuhide’s mother (said to have been nearby) and executed her. While this tale lacks any historical evidence, it reflects the bitterness surrounding the fall of Yakami Castle and the shifting allegiances of the era.

The kyokan area (residential or administrative zone) at the foot of Yakami Castle remained in use until around 1609, when the Tokugawa government constructed Sasayama Castle approximately 4 kilometers away as part of its broader efforts to pacify and control western Japan.

Field Notes

The trail up to Yakami Castle is well maintained, with clear signage marking all the major baileys. However, the kyokan area at the base of the mountain deserves more attention. Off the main path, there are interesting earthworks you can discover by straying from the established route. Given the size and importance of this residential compound, a little more signage or maintenance would greatly enhance the experience of this valuable site.

Around the mountaintop baileys, there was once extensive stonework. Some sections have collapsed over time, and much of it is now hidden under thick vegetation. I’ve heard from senpai castle explorers that the stonework used to be much more visible before the surrounding trees were cleared and tall weeds grew up in their place. They've cut some paths through the weeds areas, but a little more maintenance could dramatically improve the site’s impact. I would happily volunteer a weekend to help!

Yakami Castle had been on my list for many years after a strong recommendation from Shiro Megumi Fan during one of my early visits to the area. Until recently, though, it was somewhat difficult to reach. The main options were cycling 7.5 km from Sasayamaguchi Station, or taking a bus to downtown Sasayama Castle and walking 4 km to the trailhead — not ideal in such a castle-rich area where time is precious. There are a few infrequent local buses that stop closer, but poor scheduling means you’d often end up waiting a long time or walking back anyway.

Fortunately, since bicycle rentals began at the Sasayama Castle tourist information center, the 4 km ride to the trailhead has become a practical and enjoyable option. This made it possible for me to comfortably visit Yakami Castle, nearby Okudani Castle, Hannyaji Castle, and still swing back for a quick revisit to Sasayama Castle before dark.

As of November 2024, the lower section of the eastern trail is partially closed near the base due to a landslide or washout. After exploring the castle ruins partway down this ridge, I had to retrace my steps back along the same route. You may want to check signs I ignored at the top of the site or ask at the information center.

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Gallery

part of an original chaya nearby

Castle Profile
English Name	Yakami Castle
Japanese Name	八上城
Alternate Names	Yakamitakashiro-jo, Takashiroyama-jo
Founder	Hatano
Year Founded	late 1400's
Castle Type	Mountaintop
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Designations	National Historic Site
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Features	trenches, stone walls
Visitor Information
Access	Sasayamaguchi Station, bus,
Hours	Mountain trails, open any time
Time Required	150 mins
URL	Castle Website
Location	Tanba Sasayama, Hyogo Prefecture
Coordinates	35.06185, 135.25614
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2025
Contributor	Eric
Admin Year Visited	2024
Admin Visits	November 7, 2024
Friends of JCastle
Kojodan
Shirobito

3.00

(one vote)

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@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 |City=Tanba Sasayama
 |Prefecture=Hyogo Prefecture
-|Notes=The trail up the castle is very well maintained and all the key baileys are signposted. The kyokan residence area at the foot of the mountain however, deserves more attention. Off the main trail there are some interesting earthworks that you can find by going off the trail. It was quite a large kyokan area so a little more effort would really increase the interest for this already valuable castle site.
+|Notes=The trail up to Yakami Castle is well maintained, with clear signage marking all the major baileys. However, the kyokan area at the base of the mountain deserves more attention. Off the main path, there are interesting earthworks you can discover by straying from the established route. Given the size and importance of this residential compound, a little more signage or maintenance would greatly enhance the experience of this valuable site.
-At the top of the castle around the main baileys there was once a lot of stonework. Some has crumbled over time, but much is now buried in weeds. I heard from other castle explorers that before they cut all the trees around the mountaintop the stonework was much more visible. Again, a little more maintenance would go a long way to making this a significantly more impressive site. I'd be happy to volunteer some weekend!
+Around the mountaintop baileys, there was once extensive stonework. Some sections have collapsed over time, and much of it is now hidden under thick vegetation. I’ve heard from senpai castle explorers that the stonework used to be much more visible before the surrounding trees were cleared and tall weeds grew up in their place. They've cut some paths through the weeds areas, but a little more maintenance could dramatically improve the site’s impact. I would happily volunteer a weekend to help!
-This is a castle I had wanted to visit for many years since it was highly recommended to me by Shiro Megumi Fan on one of my trips to the area. Unfortunately, until recently, it was a bit difficult to reach. You could only cycle 7.5km from Sasayamaguchi Station or bus to the downtown Sasayama Castle and then walk the 4km to the trailhead, but who wants to spend most of their day walking to and from a trailhead if you're in such a castle rich area as Sasayama! There are some other infrequent local b busses that get you closer to the castle but poor timing means you would probably end up waiting a long time or walking back anyway. Since they started renting bicycles from the Sasayama Castle tourist information center, however, cycling the 4km to the castle entrance became the best approach instead. This also allowed me to comfortably visit nearby [[Okudani Castle]], [[Hannyaji Castle]], and take a quick revisit tour through [[Sasayama Castle]] too.
+Yakami Castle had been on my list for many years after a strong recommendation from Shiro Megumi Fan during one of my early visits to the area. Until recently, though, it was somewhat difficult to reach. The main options were cycling 7.5 km from Sasayamaguchi Station, or taking a bus to downtown Sasayama Castle and walking 4 km to the trailhead — not ideal in such a castle-rich area where time is precious. There are a few infrequent local buses that stop closer, but poor scheduling means you’d often end up waiting a long time or walking back anyway.
-As of November 2024, the lower section of the eastern trail up to the castle is partly closed off near the bottom due to a landslide/washout area. After visiting all the castle related ruins I had to go back up the mountain and retrace my steps back on the same route.
+Fortunately, since bicycle rentals began at the Sasayama Castle tourist information center, the 4 km ride to the trailhead has become a practical and enjoyable option. This made it possible for me to comfortably visit Yakami Castle, nearby [[Okudani Castle]], [[Hannyaji Castle]], and still swing back for a quick revisit to [[Sasayama Castle]] before dark.
-|History=The Hatano clan from Iwami were allied with Hosokawa Masamoto who seized power during the Onin War. They were granted this area following the Onin War and established their power base here at Yakami Castle, the highest mountain on the rich plain now known asTanba  Sasayama. It was also a critical chokepoint along one of the main roads into Kyoto. This is why we see the Tokugawa Bakufu also creating one of their key Tenkabushin castles, [[Sasayama Castle]], here too.
-By the mid 1500's the Hatano consolidated power around the Tanba highlands and all the Sasayama plain. They had become one of the most powerful Sengoku period daimyo but resisted control by Nobunaga which put them squarely in his crosshairs early in the campaigns to control western Japan.
+As of November 2024, the lower section of the eastern trail is partially closed near the base due to a landslide or washout. After exploring the castle ruins partway down this ridge, I had to retrace my steps back along the same route. You may want to check signs I ignored at the top of the site or ask at the information center.
+|History=The Hatano clan, originally from Iwami Province, rose to prominence after aligning with Hosokawa Masamoto during the Ōnin War. Following the conflict, they were granted territory in central Tanba and established a power base at Yakami Castle — a formidable mountaintop overlooking the fertile plain of what is now Tanba-Sasayama. Strategically positioned at a chokepoint on one of the main roads into Kyoto, the site later drew the attention of the Tokugawa Bakufu, which selected nearby [[Sasayama|Sasayama castle]] as the location for one of its key Tenkabushin (天下普請) castles in the Edo period.
-In 1575, Nobunaga ordered Akechi Mitsuhide to subjugate the Tanba region. The first campaign did not succeed in bringing Yakami and Kuroi under control due to difficult terrain and over extended supply lines.
+By the mid-1500s, the Hatano had consolidated control over much of the Tanba highlands and the Sasayama plain. They emerged as one of the region’s most powerful Sengoku-period daimyō, but their resistance to Oda Nobunaga’s authority placed them directly in his path during his western campaigns.
-In February 1578, Tanba region rebelled against Nobunaga so he ordered Akechi Mitsuhide to conquer the Hatano lands once and for all.  Mitsuhide laid siege to Yakami Castle in March of that year and starved them out over the next year. Over 500 samurai would die of starvation until an inside traitor negotiated surrender to Mitsuhide. The Hatano brothers were promised clemency by Mitsuhide and he was ordered to take them back to [[Azuchi Castle]]. Nobunaga, possibly seeing a threat by their continued existence had them executed in Kyoto. This "betrayal" by Nobunaga is often cited as one of the reasons for Mitsuhide's eventual betrayal on Nobunaga. One local legend further expands on teh story to say that the Hatano clan captured Mitsuhide's mother who was also in the area and executed her in retaliation. There is no historical basis to this often cited legend, but it adds to the drama and perceived slights of Nobunaga against Mitsuhide.
+In 1575, Nobunaga ordered Akechi Mitsuhide to subjugate Tanba. Mitsuhide’s initial attempt failed due to difficult terrain, local uprisings, and overextended supply lines. Yakami and neighboring [[Kuroi Castle]] withstood the assault.
-The Kyokan area at the base of the castle was used by local governors until [[Sasayama Castle]] was built approx 4km away.
+In February 1578, renewed resistance flared across Tanba. Nobunaga again dispatched Mitsuhide, this time with orders to crush the Hatano clan entirely. Mitsuhide laid siege to Yakami Castle in March, cutting off supplies and waiting the defenders out. Over the course of a grueling year-long siege, it is said that more than 500 samurai perished from starvation. Eventually, a traitor from within the castle opened negotiations with Mitsuhide, leading to the Hatano’s surrender.
+Mitsuhide, honoring his promise, escorted the Hatano brothers to Azuchi Castle under assurances of clemency. However, Nobunaga — perhaps viewing the Hatano as a lingering threat — ordered their execution in Kyoto. This perceived betrayal by Nobunaga is frequently cited as one of the grievances that later motivated Mitsuhide’s own betrayal at Honnō-ji in 1582.
+A local legend adds further drama to this episode, claiming that Hatano retainers, in revenge, captured Mitsuhide’s mother (said to have been nearby) and executed her. While this tale lacks any historical evidence, it reflects the bitterness surrounding the fall of Yakami Castle and the shifting allegiances of the era.
+The kyokan area (residential or administrative zone) at the foot of Yakami Castle remained in use until around 1609, when the Tokugawa government constructed Sasayama Castle approximately 4 kilometers away as part of its broader efforts to pacify and control western Japan.
 |Year Visited=2024
 |AddedJcastle=2025