Kamioka Castle

Kamiokajō is a historical castle site in Kamioka Township, Hida Municipality. The original castle, known as Higashimachijō, probably because it is to the east of the river in Kamioka Township, was a small angular fortification with an inner and outer moat with stone-piled ramparts. The main keep and

History

Ema Tokimori built this castle under the orders of Takeda Shingen in 1564 to be the focal point of his intrusion into the Etchu area. It was a secondary castle to the Ema's home castle of Takahara Suwa Castle. In 1585 it was taken over by Kanamori Nagachika when he was given lordship of the Hida area by Hideyoshi. In 1615 it was decommissioned by the Edo Government.

Field Notes

Kamiokajō is a historical castle site in Kamioka Township, Hida Municipality. The original castle, known as Higashimachijō, probably because it is to the east of the river in Kamioka Township, was a small angular fortification with an inner and outer moat with stone-piled ramparts. The main keep and gatehouse are faux reconstructions dating to 1970.

There is something amusingly anachronistic about the tower now known as the Kamiokajō mogi tenshu (faux reconstructed donjon). It is rather appealing, especially when viewed from town perched on the cliffside, but the tag line 'Romance of the Warring States Period' used at the castle is rather funny when one considers that the metal roofing used on the tower wasn't an architectural feature of the Sengoku period. So much for Sengoku period romanticism. Nearby Ema-yakata has much more of that, a historically authentic reconstruction.

Kamiokajō is nonetheless quaint. Inside are displays, including samurai armour. The interior is drab in concrete, but the views of the town are great. A karaoke festival was going on at a local temple and so the castle was being blasted with music during my visit. The site also has a museum building, mostly of interest to geologists because it shows rocks.

I was also deeply interested in the relocated kominka (traditional farm house) next to the castle. Even though it has a thatched roof this has also been covered in the same sheet metal which is abundant about the castle. It's very disappointing when I see preserved and relocated folk homes which nonetheless have had their thatching all covered up. Minka with sheet metal are mostly lived in. Relocated or preserved minka tend also to preserve the kayabuki (thatched roofing). Inisde the folk home are many curios. There is a terrifically old machine shaped like a tower which, once a coin is deposited, will allow the viewer to switch between photos in a slide. Or it did at least. Now it is stuck on a picture of Kiyomizudera. The old home has three floors and its upper storeys were probably used for sericulture.

Profile and gallery updated by ART (2024; visited 2019). Old photos by Frank T (2011).

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Gallery

Mogi-tenshu (faux reconstructed keep)
Ishigaki (stone-piled ramparts)
Karabori (dry moat)
Site map overlay
Moat and ramparts with dobei (parapet walls)
Gatehouse from within bailey
Dorui (earthen ramparts)
Kominka
Earthen bridge and gatehouse
Dry moat and stone-lined earthen bridge
Reconstructed mock main keep
Main keep and gate
Old farmhouse

Castle Profile
English Name	Kamioka Castle
Japanese Name	神岡城
Alternate Names	Higashimachijō
Founder	Ema Tokimori
Year Founded	1564
Castle Type	Hilltop
Castle Condition	Reconstructed main keep
Designations	Local Historic Site
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Year Reconstructed	1970 (concrete)
Features	main keep, gates, trenches, stone walls, walls
Visitor Information
Access	Hida Furukawa Sta. (Takayama Line)
Hours	9:00-17:00; 450￥
Time Required	60 minutes
URL	Castle Website
Location	Hida City, Gifu Prefecture
Coordinates	36.32991, 137.30232
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2011
Contributor	ART
Admin Year Visited	Viewer Contributed
Admin Visits	Viewer Donated
Friends of JCastle
Jōkaku Hōrōki

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