Yagyu Castle

The ruins of Yagyu Castle are located above Hōtoku-ji Temple. There are no signs for the castle nor clear trails up the mountainside. Just before Hōtoku-ji, near the pond and well across from the dojo, you can pick an easy-looking route to climb. Once on the ridge, faint paths can be followed to par

History

Yagyu Castle was the Sengoku-period home base of the Yagyu clan, who appear in records as early as 1384. By the early 1500s the family had shifted their seat from a nearby flatland yakata to this mountaintop fortress. The castle became the symbol of the clan under Yagyu Munetoshi (柳生宗厳), founder of the Yagyu Shinkage-ryū sword school.

In 1544, the Yagyu allied with the Tsutsui’s rivals and were attacked by a force of 10,000 under Tsutsui. According to records the “outer castle” (外城) fell and the water source was captured, but the “main castle” held out for days before finally falling on July 29. The battle was fierce, with many deaths among Tsutsui’s retainers, but the Yagyu ultimately survived the fall and maintained their local power.

During the Eiroku era (1558–1570) the clan aligned with Matsunaga Hisahide, and later with Oda Nobunaga, adapting to the shifting balance of power. By the early Edo period, the clan was re-established as hereditary sword instructors to the Tokugawa shogunate and moved their administrative base to Yagyu Jin'ya. Hōtoku-ji Temple was founded on the castle site as the clan’s bodaiji (family temple).

Field Notes

The ruins of Yagyu Castle are located above Hōtoku-ji Temple. There are no signs for the castle nor clear trails up the mountainside. Just before Hōtoku-ji, near the pond and well across from the dojo, you can pick an easy-looking route to climb. Once on the ridge, faint paths can be followed to parts of the site. Two large horikiri (trench cuts) clearly divide the main bailey from smaller enclosures. Hōtoku-ji itself occupies part of the old castle grounds and embankment on one side may date to the castle itself. Combine with visits to Yagyu Furushiro Castle and Yagyu Jin'ya for a full picture of Yagyu history.

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Hotokuji Temple

Castle Profile
English Name	Yagyu Castle
Japanese Name	柳生城
Founder	Yagyu family
Year Founded	Early 1500s (Tembun era c.1530–1540)
Castle Type	Mountaintop
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Features	trenches
Visitor Information
Access	Yagyu Bus Stop (Nara Kotsu Bus from Kintetsu Nara Station); 15 min walk to Hōtoku-ji Temple and trail up to the castle
Hours	Steep hiking paths, temple grounds
Time Required	30–45 mins including temple
Location	Nara, Nara Prefecture
Coordinates	34.7327, 135.9868
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2025
Contributor	Eric
Admin Year Visited	2025
Admin Visits	February 11, 2025
Friends of JCastle
Jokaku Horoki

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