Kamei Castle

Take the JR Train to Kuba Station (玖波駅) and then walk 30 minutes mainly along Route 2. Kamei Castle Ruin is in Kamei Park (亀居公園). This castle ruin could be better signposted and maintained. It was terribly overgrown in mid-summer when I visited.

History

Fukushima Masanori was awarded Aki and Bingo (present day Hiroshima Prefecture), former regions ruled by the Mori Clan, after the Battle of Sekigahara. Kikkawa Hiroie built Iwakuni Castle in Suou (present day eastern Yamaguchi Prefecture) in 1601, so Fukushima was ordered by Tokugawa Ieyasu to construct a castle nearby to defend Aki (present day western Hiroshima Prefecture) against possible Mori incursions. It was one of the satellite castles built to protect Hiroshima Castle. Other ones were constructed in Miyoshi, Tojo, Mihara, Kannabe, and Tomo. Construction of Kamei Castle in Ogata began in 1603 under Fukushima’s nephew, Fukushima Hoki. He died a year before it was completed in 1608. Yamada Koemon and Mori Sasuke became the lords of the castle after its completion. Kamei Castle acted as defensive gateway into Aki from Suou, and it also protected and defended the sea lanes between the coast and Itsukushima (island where present day Miyajima Shrine is located).

This castle had eleven baileys: Honmaru, Ninomaru, Sannoumaru, Arinomaru, Nashinomaru, Matsunomaru, Nagoyamaru, Junomaru, Tsumenomaru, Kagaminomaru, and Myokenmaru. The first eight baileys listed were spread out in a line on a small hill, 88m above sea-level at its highest point. This fortress also had a three-storey castle keep and a port in the castle town at the base of the castle. The castle had a short military life and was decommissioned in 1611 after Tokugawa realized that the Mori Clan posed no real military threat. It was called Kamei Castle because of the shape of the terrain that the castle was built on. It was said to look like a turtle lying on its stomach.

Field Notes

Take the JR Train to Kuba Station (玖波駅) and then walk 30 minutes mainly along Route 2. Kamei Castle Ruin is in Kamei Park (亀居公園). This castle ruin could be better signposted and maintained. It was terribly overgrown in mid-summer when I visited.

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Gallery

Honmaru stone walls
Ninomaru and Honmaru stone walls
Stone walls
Stone walls
Stone walls
Sannomaru Bailey
Stone walls
Stone walls
Stone walls
Ninomaru entrance
Ninomaru stone walls
Ninomaru stone walls
Ninomaru and Honmaru stone walls
Ninomaru and Honmaru stone walls seen from the Tsumenomaru Bailey
Tsumenomaru stonewalls (may not be original)
Ninomaru and Honmaru stone walls
Ninomaru and Honmaru stone walls
Ninomaru and Honmaru stone walls
Honmaru stone walls
Honmaru stone walls
Honmaru stone walls
Honmaru stone walls
Honmaru stone walls
Ninomaru entrance
Honmaru entrance
Honmaru entrance form the Tsurui-no-dan
Honmaru entrance
Honmaru stone walls
Looking from the Honmaru
Honmaru stone walls
Honmaru stone walls
Honmaru stone walls
Looking from the Honmaru
Honmaru stone walls
Ninomaru entrance
stone walls
Ninomaru entrance
stone walls
Ninomaru Bailey
Sannomaru Bailey
Sannomaru Bailey
Arinomaru stone walls
stone walls
stone walls
Nashinomaru Bailey
stone walls
stone walls
Matsunomaru stone walls
Nagoya bailey stone wall remains
Nagoya bailey stone wall remains
Nagoya bailey
Nagoya bailey stone wall remains
Entrance to the Nagoya Bailey
Entrance to the Nagoya Bailey
Entrance to the Nagoya Bailey
Entrance to the Nagoya Bailey
View from the Honmaru just before it rains
Map

Castle Profile
English Name	Kamei Castle
Japanese Name	亀居城
Alternate Names	Ogata-jo
Founder	Fukushima Hoki
Year Founded	1608
Castle Type	Hilltop
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Designations	Local Historic Site
Historical Period	Edo Period
Features	stone walls
Visitor Information
Access	Kuba Sta. (JR Sanyo Line) 30 min walk or 10 min bus
Hours	Free and open castle park
Time Required
URL	Castle Website
Location	Otake, Hiroshima Prefecture
Coordinates	34.24059, 132.21646
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2012
Admin Year Visited	2018
Admin Visits	Viewer Donated

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