Yagura Castle (Kii)
Yagurajō, also called Myōjin'yamajō, is an okajiro (hilltop castle) ruin in Shingū Municipality. The castle ruins reportedly feature earthworks such as baileys and trenches, and even gate ruins (pictures I've seen also seem to show dorui (earthen ramparts)), but, unfortunately, the site is on privat
History
Yagurajō's origins are obscure, but the Yagura Clan were one of the so-called 'Seven Warrior Families of Kumano', and so it is believed to have been their fort in the Sengoku period. The Yagura controlled 1,500 koku of territory in the area. In 1591, the Horiuchi Clan was enfeoffed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and constructed Horiuchi-Shingūjō, a flatland castle, nearby. It appears that the Horiuchi used Yagurajō as a fortified redoubt to protect their fortified residence. Yagurajō was surrendered to and abandoned or razed by Kuwayama Kazushige who defeated the Horiuchi following the battle of Sekiǵahara in 1600.
Field Notes
Yagurajō, also called Myōjin'yamajō, is an okajiro (hilltop castle) ruin in Shingū Municipality. The castle ruins reportedly feature earthworks such as baileys and trenches, and even gate ruins (pictures I've seen also seem to show dorui (earthen ramparts)), but, unfortunately, the site is on private property and the owners do not allow public entry. As such, I could only look around the foot of the 40m tall independent hill on which the ruins sit. There is some consolatory ishigaki (stone-piled walls) here, but it is not related to the fort site (it may have been used as a retaining wall when the pass was cut, or connected to the nearby temple).
This site sits between Zenryūji and Shingū Station, so I included it as part of my walk around Shingū, but I refrained from trespassing. The only path up appears to be from the south and there are signs prohibiting entry blocking the path. Most castle-bloggers have met with the same problem, but the blogger at Kojōshi got up. That blogger also took the southern path where the road cuts through the base of the hill, but makes no mention of having to get permission for entry, and so perhaps at the time of their visit the path was open. I will link that blog in the 'Friends of Jcastle' section.
Note: This is Yagurajō (alternatively Yakurajō) in Shingū Municipality, formerly part of Muro County, not to be confused with Yagurayamajō in Kinokawa Municipality, formerly part of Naka County, both in Wakayama Prefecture and the former Kii Province.
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Yagura Castle (Kii) |
| Japanese Name | 紀伊矢倉城 |
| Alternate Names | Myōjin'yamajō (明神山城 ) |
| Founder | Yagura Clan; Horinouchi Clan |
| Year Founded | Sengoku Period; Momoyama Period |
| Castle Type | Mountaintop |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Features | trenches |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Shingū Station on the Kisei Line; 10 min walk. |
| Hours | Access Limited |
| Time Required | 10 minutes |
| URL | Castle Website |
| Location | Shingū, Wakayama Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 33.72734, 135.98855 |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2025 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Jōkaku Hōrōki | |
| Jōkaku Shashin Kiroku | |
| Kojōshi Tanbō | |
