Nakamura Castle (Azumi)

Nakamurajō is a single bailey fort site. Ruins include remnants of dorui (earthen embankments) around the bailey, and horikiri (trenches) fore and aft along the ridge. A modern forestry road runs alongside the site, but also passes over the trenches at one point. This is unfortunate but it does have

History

Nakamurajō is thought to have been the main castle of the Nakamura Clan, vassals of the Aida Clan. It was later controlled by the Shibutami and Endō clans. Nakamurajō likely acted as a fortified watch tower, perhaps used by the Nishina Clan, due to its position between Hikijō and Tōnoharajō. The Nakamura had a yakata (fortified manor hall) in Nakamura village below; see: Nakamuranotonoda Yakata.

Field Notes

Nakamurajō is a single bailey fort site. Ruins include remnants of dorui (earthen embankments) around the bailey, and horikiri (trenches) fore and aft along the ridge. A modern forestry road runs alongside the site, but also passes over the trenches at one point. This is unfortunate but it does have the effect of presenting the site’s features from a perspective like that of a bisected anatomical model. The main bailey is overgrown, and landslides have eaten into it on its northern face, but the forestry road makes this an easy site to walk to from the shrine (大己神社) below (the shrine is a potential kyokan site (residential area at the foot of the castle mount)). I encountered pheasants which tried to play hide and seek with me from each side of the track.

Gallery

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  Horikiri
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Castle Profile
English Name	Nakamura Castle (Azumi)
Japanese Name	安曇中村城
Founder	Nakamura Clan
Year Founded	Medieval Era
Castle Type	Mountaintop
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Artifacts	Horikiri, Kuruwa
Features	trenches
Visitor Information
Access	Nearest station is Akashina Station on the Shinonoi Line
Hours	24/7 free; mountain
Time Required	30 minutes
Location	Azumino, Nagano Prefecture
Coordinates	36.3858, 137.91749
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2022
Contributor	ART
Admin Year Visited	Viewer Contributed
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