Shizuhara North Castle: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 11:13, 10 May 2025

The name “Shizuhara Castle” is commonly used to refer to two distinct sites on this mountain: what I call Shizuhara North Castle (at the peak) and Shizuhara South Castle (on a lower rise to the south). It is not a very well known nor well studied castle which is unfortunate because the ruins are abs

History

Shizuhara North Castle was most likely constructed between 1469 and 1485 by the Yamamoto clan, who were the largest landholders in the Iwakura area north of Kyoto (近畿の城郭 V). However, some sources attribute its construction to Miyoshi Nagayoshi, suggesting that the castle may have been an earlier Yamamoto stronghold fortified further during Miyoshi’s consolidation of power in the Kyoto region around 1555. During this period, the Yamamoto clan acted as castellan under Miyoshi authority.

In 1573, as tensions escalated between Oda Nobunaga and Ashikaga Yoshiaki, Yamamoto Sanehisa who sided with Yoshiaki, took refuge in Shizuhara Castle, resisting Nobunaga’s forces. Later that year, Akechi Mitsuhide attacked and captured the site in October, after which it was likely abandoned. For more on the later developments in the area, see Shizuhara South Castle.

Field Notes

The name “Shizuhara Castle” is commonly used to refer to two distinct sites on this mountain: what I call Shizuhara North Castle (at the peak) and Shizuhara South Castle (on a lower rise to the south). It is not a very well known nor well studied castle which is unfortunate because the ruins are absolutely worth visiting. This is a situation where trekking out to these sites, observing the land and castle structures with your own eyes and making your own theories is critical. Most references lump them together as one complex, but I believe this obscures their distinct histories and layouts. The Kyoto Castle Survey treats them as the “North Bailey Grouping” and “South Bailey Grouping” within a single entry. However, Jōkaku Hōrōki clearly distinguishes the two, and Google Maps labels the north site as Shirotaniyama Shizuhara Castle. Based on my observations, I think it is appropriate to treat them as separate castles.

Shizuhara North Castle is located at the mountain summit and consists of terraced baileys along three ridgelines. There is minimal stonework: a possible gate foundation in the main bailey and one side bailey with stones that may have served as a retaining wall rather than fortifications. In contrast, the South Castle, which lies farther away than one might expect from maps, features extensive stonework, tatebori (vertical moats), and a prominent horikiri trench isolating it from the upper ridge — evidence of a later, more advanced fortification.

The trail begins to the left of Shizuhara Shrine and climbs steeply to the summit, reaching Shizuhara North Castle in about 45 minutes. While the path can be steep and is not well marked, it is generally clear and manageable without risk of getting lost.

See Shizuhara South Castle for more details.

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Gallery

Castle Profile
English Name	Shizuhara North Castle
Japanese Name	静原城（北城）
Founder	Yamamoto Clan
Year Founded	1469-1485
Castle Type	Mountaintop
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Features	trenches
Visitor Information
Access	Ichihara Station (Eiden Line), bus to Shizuhara
Hours	Mountain trails, open any time
Time Required	120 mins
Location	Kyoto, Kyoto
Coordinates	35.11851, 135.78801
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2025
Contributor	Eric
Admin Year Visited	2025
Admin Visits	January 5, 2025
Friends of JCastle
Kojodan
Jokaku Horoki
Shirobito
Yamajiro Sanka

3.00

(one vote)

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 |City=Kyoto
 |Prefecture=Kyoto
-|Notes=There are two castles associated as Shizuhara Castle on this mountain, which I'm splitting into the Shizuhara North Castle and Shizuhara South Castle. It is not a very well known nor well studied castle which is unfortunate because the ruins are absolutely worth visiting. The two castles are frequently put together as one "Shizuhara Castle" which I think is a mistake and may give rise to misconceptions about it. The Kyoto Castle Survey splits them as the North Bailey Grouping and South Bailey Grouping under a single entry. Google Maps labels them as Shirotaniyama Shizuhara Castle (the north castle) and Shizuhara Castle (the south castle) and the Jokaku Horoki site clearly splits them into two, which I will do as well. This is a situation where trekking out to these sites, observing the land and castle structures with your own eyes and making your own theories is critical.
+|Notes=The name “Shizuhara Castle” is commonly used to refer to two distinct sites on this mountain: what I call Shizuhara North Castle (at the peak) and Shizuhara South Castle (on a lower rise to the south). It is not a very well known nor well studied castle which is unfortunate because the ruins are absolutely worth visiting. This is a situation where trekking out to these sites, observing the land and castle structures with your own eyes and making your own theories is critical. Most references lump them together as one complex, but I believe this obscures their distinct histories and layouts. The Kyoto Castle Survey treats them as the “North Bailey Grouping” and “South Bailey Grouping” within a single entry. However, Jōkaku Hōrōki clearly distinguishes the two, and Google Maps labels the north site as Shirotaniyama Shizuhara Castle. Based on my observations, I think it is appropriate to treat them as separate castles.
-The North Castle is at the mountain peak with terraced baileys along three ridges but little to no stonework and no moats. There is a foundation around what's probably an entrance in the main bailey and one of the side baileys has some stonework but that may have simply been a retaining wall. The South Castle is much farther away than you might imagine from maps. It is  clearly on a separate uprising near the bottom of the ridge. The South Castle has extensive stonework, some tatebori vertical moats and a very large horikiri trench on the uphill side of the slope cutting it off from the North Castle and possibly defending it from an attack that may come from that side. I think it's clear that this is a different and later castle.
+Shizuhara North Castle is located at the mountain summit and consists of terraced baileys along three ridgelines. There is minimal stonework: a possible gate foundation in the main bailey and one side bailey with stones that may have served as a retaining wall rather than fortifications. In contrast, the South Castle, which lies farther away than one might expect from maps, features extensive stonework, tatebori (vertical moats), and a prominent horikiri trench isolating it from the upper ridge — evidence of a later, more advanced fortification.
-There is also a clear difference to visiting these two sites. There is a trail from the left side of the Shizuhara Shrine that quickly becomes a steep slope ascending to the top of the mountain and Shizuhara North Castle in about 45 minutes. The trail is a little steep in some areas and not well marked but seems to be clear enough not to get lost or have other challenges.
+The trail begins to the left of Shizuhara Shrine and climbs steeply to the summit, reaching Shizuhara North Castle in about 45 minutes. While the path can be steep and is not well marked, it is generally clear and manageable without risk of getting lost.
 See [[Shizuhara South Castle]] for more details.
-|History=Shizuhara Castle was most likely built around 1469-1485 ([https://amzn.to/44qSaHE 近畿の城郭 V]) by the Yamamoto clan, the largest landholder in the area. However it is not completely clear and many sources attribute it to Miyoshi Nagayoshi or Miyoshi may have renovated an earlier castle, in other words, the one built by the Yamamoto. In 1555 Miyoshi Nagayoshi consolidated power around Kyoto. The Yamamoto Clan, powerful local landholders in the Iwakura area north of Kyoto, acted as castellan. When relations between Oda Nobunaga and Ashikaga Yoshiaki deteriorated in 1573, Yamamoto Sanehisa holed up in Shizuhara Castle from July of that year. The castle was defeated by Akechi Mitsuhide in October of 1573 and likely abandoned at that time. See [[Shizuhara South Castle]] for more details.
+|History=Shizuhara North Castle was most likely constructed between 1469 and 1485 by the Yamamoto clan, who were the largest landholders in the Iwakura area north of Kyoto ([https://amzn.to/44qSaHE 近畿の城郭 V]). However, some sources attribute its construction to Miyoshi Nagayoshi, suggesting that the castle may have been an earlier Yamamoto stronghold fortified further during Miyoshi’s consolidation of power in the Kyoto region around 1555. During this period, the Yamamoto clan acted as castellan under Miyoshi authority.
+In 1573, as tensions escalated between Oda Nobunaga and Ashikaga Yoshiaki, Yamamoto Sanehisa who sided with Yoshiaki, took refuge in Shizuhara Castle, resisting Nobunaga’s forces. Later that year, Akechi Mitsuhide attacked and captured the site in October, after which it was likely abandoned. For more on the later developments in the area, see [[Shizuhara South Castle]].
 |Year Visited=2025
 |AddedJcastle=2025