Shobudani Fort: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 06:45, 13 July 2025

Shobudani Fort It retains some very nicely preserved trenches and embankments. Unfortunately, it is not shown on the map signboard, but the two ridges that extend from the lower edge of the fort down to the base of the mountain were also fortified. These include leveled areas and embankments running

History

Shobudani Fort was constructed as part of Hideyoshi’s forward defensive line during the Battle of Shizugatake in 1583. It functioned as a satellite outpost of Tohnoyama Fort, securing the lower approach to the mountain along with the much smaller Mizotani Fort.

Field Notes

Shobudani Fort It retains some very nicely preserved trenches and embankments. Unfortunately, it is not shown on the map signboard, but the two ridges that extend from the lower edge of the fort down to the base of the mountain were also fortified. These include leveled areas and embankments running down the steep ridge, forming what are secondary positions. In fact, some earlier texts treat these as separate satellite forts as well. Taken together, the core castle and two extended curved fortified ridgelines give the full site the appearance of a giant crab claw when viewed on a full map. On my first trip I only saw the core castle part but on the second trip I descended via the southern side of the "crab claw". This side has a clear bailey towards the bottom with embankments that you can see in the photos below and I can maybe see how some might consider it another fort.

There are a few ways to reach the site. The main approach is via the old logging road past the fence we saw in th ephotos from Tohnoyama Fort. From there, turn left and continue up the valley until you can see the ridgeline above, then pick a spot to start climbing. This is what I did on my first visit, and it takes you directly into the center of the fort. You could ascend from either of the ridges that make up "crab claw" but the bottoms start/end in underbrush and with no clear signs so it could be hard to know where to start.

It is also possible to descend into Shobudani after visiting Tohnoyama Fort. This is what I did on my second visit. This trail is narrower and steeper, but it’s fairly clear and makes for an efficient route when combining the two forts in one visit.

Loading map...

Gallery

Castle Profile
English Name	Shobudani Fort
Japanese Name	菖蒲谷砦
Founder	Hashiba Hideyoshi
Year Founded	1583
Castle Type	Mountaintop
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Features	trenches
Visitor Information
Access	JR Yogo Station, 3.5 km to the trailhead
Hours	No clear trails; map signboard on-site only
Time Required	45 mins on site
Hiking Trail	View on Yamap
Location	Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture
Coordinates	35.55308, 136.20606
Loading map... {"minzoom":false,"maxzoom":false,"mappingservice":"leaflet","width":"auto","height":"200px","centre":false,"title":"","label":"","icon":"Castlemarker.png","lines":[],"polygons":[],"circles":[],"rectangles":[],"copycoords":false,"static":false,"zoom":6,"defzoom":14,"layers":["CartoDB.Positron"],"image layers":[],"overlays":[],"resizable":false,"fullscreen":false,"scrollwheelzoom":true,"cluster":false,"clustermaxzoom":20,"clusterzoomonclick":true,"clustermaxradius":80,"clusterspiderfy":true,"geojson":"","clicktarget":"","imageLayers":[],"locations":[{"text":"","title":"","link":"","lat":35.55308,"lon":136.20606,"icon":"../images/1/1e/Castlemarker.png"}],"imageoverlays":null}
Admin
Added to Jcastle	2025
Contributor	Eric
Admin Year Visited	2023, 2025
Admin Visits	April 28, 2023; April 20, 2025
Friends of JCastle
Jokaku Horoki

1.00

(one vote)

Loading comments...

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 |Notes=Shobudani Fort It retains some very nicely preserved trenches and embankments. Unfortunately, it is not shown on the map signboard, but the two ridges that extend from the lower edge of the fort down to the base of the mountain were also fortified. These include leveled areas and embankments running down the steep ridge, forming what are secondary positions. In fact, some earlier texts treat these as separate satellite forts as well. Taken together, the core castle and two extended curved fortified ridgelines give the full site the appearance of a giant crab claw when viewed on a full map. On my first trip I only saw the core castle part but on the second trip I descended via the southern side of the "crab claw". This side has a clear bailey towards the bottom with embankments that you can see in the photos below and I can maybe see how some might consider it another fort.
-There are a few ways to reach the site. The main approach is via the old logging road past the fence we saw in th ephotos from [[Tohonyama Fort]]. From there, turn left and continue up the valley until you can see the ridgeline above, then pick a spot to start climbing. This is what I did on my first visit, and it takes you directly into the center of the fort. You could ascend from either of the ridges that make up "crab claw" but the bottoms start/end in underbrush and with no clear signs so it could be hard to know where to start.
+There are a few ways to reach the site. The main approach is via the old logging road past the fence we saw in th ephotos from [[Tohnoyama Fort]]. From there, turn left and continue up the valley until you can see the ridgeline above, then pick a spot to start climbing. This is what I did on my first visit, and it takes you directly into the center of the fort. You could ascend from either of the ridges that make up "crab claw" but the bottoms start/end in underbrush and with no clear signs so it could be hard to know where to start.
 It is also possible to descend into Shobudani after visiting [[Tohnoyama Fort]]. This is what I did on my second visit. This trail is narrower and steeper, but it’s fairly clear and makes for an efficient route when combining the two forts in one visit.