4 new castles, 2 updates and new videos

This brings together several updates I made over the New Year's break. Unfortunately, there's no single theme to bring them all together, just an eclectic mix of new content. 4 New Castles: Shuuchi Castle, Nakao Castle, Ohyama Dejiro, and Takeda Yakata

4 new castles, 2 updates and new videos

2023/01/14

This brings together several updates I made over the New Year's break. Unfortunately, there's no single theme to bring them all together, just an eclectic mix of new content.

4 New Castles: Shuuchi Castle, Nakao Castle, Ohyama Dejiro, and Takeda Yakata.

2 updates are updates to profiles made by ART: Yamazaki Castle and Amidagamine Castle

Videos: This is an experimental new feature. I started filming video at some recent caastle visits when I had some extra time. For now, the new videos are linked in the Visit Notes section of each castle profile or you can find them all on my new YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@Jcastleinfo

I'm not sure where I will take this just yet. It is a lot of work to shoot usable video and edit it. Feedback, suggestions or requests are more than welcome. Videos have been added to Shuuchi Castle, Takeda Yakata, and Himeji Castle

Ohyama Dejiro / 大山出城

Refer to Nakao Castle for details on the routes into the castle. Taking the trail from behind the Kyoto Korean School, you will first reach Oyama Mejiro on the way to Nakao Castle. You will find a few small flattened areas or baileys while ascending the slope but much of the castle has been heavily eroded over time. The main bailey has a good section of an earthen embankment around it. To the Northwest of the main bailey behind the embankment is a steep drop into another large bailey with some large stones and another huge embankment (kirigishi/dorui). This section in particular has some good views of the area (if they cut a few more trees) and lends evidence to the theory that it was used to watch over and defend from attack via the Yamanaka-goe pass. This area was the highlight for me but seems to be missed by many other castle visitors.

Shuuchi Castle / 須知城

The castle itself is fairly compact for a mountain castle following along one ridge line. The West side also had an extended fortification atop the smaller mountain next to it. This West side, from which I hiked, is a good steep climb, but the trail up from the Kototaki Waterfall and Gyokuunji Temple sounds comparatively easier. It's just a little farther and longer. It's also interesting to note that the big stone walls face this East side as well, possible assuming a major attack would come from that side up the easier climb and away from the extended fort.

Videos

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Takeda Yakata (Ibaraki) / 武田氏館

The Takeda Yakata in Hitachinaka Ibaraki was reconstructed in 1991. The original location of the fortified home was about 500m southeast of the present day location but it oculd not be built on the land which is part of the self defense forces and has train tracks through it. However, the layout of the residence and foundations for the buildings were faithfully restored at this site. Since there is no record of what the actual buildings looked like, they were rebuilt based on other records of typical samurai residences of the time.

The inside of the house has a small collection of armor donated by the Takeishi family which were likely a retainer or branch of the Takeda. Apparently the residence is frequented by many Takeda Shingen and Kai Domain fans who come to seek out the origins of Takeda clan.

Videos

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Yamazaki Castle / 山崎城

A short trip from Kyōto, Ōyamazaki is a very pretty little town packed full of tradition and history, famous for oil production. The castle ruin is an ideal destination for hiking fans if they visit here. Ascending the mountain one passes by many murals erected by the municipality showing the history of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the Battle of Yamazaki. (ART 2017)

For such a well known site, I was a little disappointed in this one because there were not as many clear ruins as I had expected to see. Around the honmaru you can find a few stones remaining from the original stonework and a few more if you pick around in the wooded sides of the bailey. There is also a bailey with a well and some slight earthen embankments and several side baileys. The most clear embankments are those of the honmaru and the bailey with the well. Looking at the map there should have been a tatedorui (vertical running earthen embankment) from the honmaru but with a lot of similar looking ground it was a bit difficult to make it out. The highlight of this castle is definitely the giant trench around the Northeast side that is not often covered in other materials about the castle. If you visit Yamazaki Castle, it would could be good to plan in some of the other attractions related to the battle with Akechi Mitsuhide like his encampment at the Igenoyama Kofun and Shoryuji Castle. I got a late start due to a long train stoppage and then some unexpected rain dumped on me on the way back to the station so I called it quits after the castle. (Eric 2022)

Photos updated from Eric's trip in 2022.

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