Shiozaki Castle

The ruins of Shiozakijō, a yamajiro (mountaintop castle), feature earthworks such as dorui (earthen ramparts), kuruwa (baileys), koshiguruwa (sub-baileys), karabori (dry moats) and tatebori (climbing moats), and ishigaki (stone-piled ramparts). The castle's layout is fairly simple: the terracing fol

History

Shiozakijō was originally the base of the Shiozaki Clan. The Shiozaki were vassals of the Murakami Clan. In 1550 Shiozakijō was conquered by the Takeda Clan. The castle was rebuilt by the Takeda, its layout dating to that time. Shiozakijō became a key fortification in the battles of Kawanakajima fought between Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin. In 1564 when Uesugi encamped at Kawanakajima, Takeda Shingen gathered his troops at Shiozakijō and defended from here for sixty days. Shiozakijō and the surrounding area was the site of the fifth and last major battle to take place in those series of conflicts (the fourth and previous battle was the largest and fought on Kawanakajima plain itself).

Field Notes

The ruins of Shiozakijō, a yamajiro (mountaintop castle), feature earthworks such as dorui (earthen ramparts), kuruwa (baileys), koshiguruwa (sub-baileys), karabori (dry moats) and tatebori (climbing moats), and ishigaki (stone-piled ramparts). The castle's layout is fairly simple: the terracing follows the ridge up, creating a ladder-like formation. The shukuruwa (main bailey) has a large dorui to the rear with a deep cutting into the mountain ridge beyond that. The remnants of ishigaki are modest but for me were a highlight of the site.

Gallery

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Castle Profile
English Name	Shiozaki Castle
Japanese Name	塩崎城
Founder	Shiozaki Clan
Year Founded	Sengoku Period
Castle Type	Mountaintop
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Artifacts	Horikiri, Tatebori, Karabori, Dorui, Kuruwa, Koshiguruwa, Ishigaki
Features	trenches, stone walls
Visitor Information
Access	Inariyama Station on the Shinonoi Line; 15 minute walk to trail head at Hasedera Temple
Hours	24/7 free; mountain
Time Required	60 minutes
Location	Nagano, Nagano Prefecture
Coordinates	36.54991, 138.09504
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2020
Contributor	ART
Admin Year Visited	Viewer Contributed

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