Meiseireijin Fort
When I arrived at the ruins of Meiseireijin-toride, I thought I had already come across Karasakijō, which is where I was heading. I couldn't mistake earthworks as anything other than castle-related. I checked my positioning and saw that I still had a little way to go before reaching Karasakijō, howe
History
Meiseireijin-toride was likely built as a branch fortification of Karasaki Castle on the way to Teshiro Castle, but its exact history is unclear. The name suggests a religious function so perhaps it was also used as a place to consecrate the ridge and castle mount? But that may have been ancillary or subsequnt to its military function.
Field Notes
When I arrived at the ruins of Meiseireijin-toride, I thought I had already come across Karasakijō, which is where I was heading. I couldn't mistake earthworks as anything other than castle-related. I checked my positioning and saw that I still had a little way to go before reaching Karasakijō, however. It was only later that I was able to identify this site as the ruins of a small fort called Meiseireijin-toride. The toride consists of a central bailey with a lower sub-bailey and a rear dorui (earthen rampart) segement, now lined with hokora (mini-shrines). Beyond the dorui is a sizable trench complex with a deep horikiri (trench) and tatebori (climbing moats) on both sides.
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Meiseireijin Fort |
| Japanese Name | 明聖霊神砦 |
| Founder | ??? |
| Year Founded | Sengoku Period |
| Castle Type | Mountaintop |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Artifacts | Horikiri, Tatebori, Kuruwa, Dorui, Koshikuruwa |
| Features | trenches |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Hiking trail via Karasaki Castle |
| Hours | Free; 24/7; Mountain |
| Time Required | 20 minutes |
| Location | Chikuma, Nagano Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 36.54822, 138.16029 |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2020 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
