Yokkaichi Jin'ya
Yokkaichi-jin'ya is a former jin'ya site in the Kitamachi neighbourhood of downtown Yokkaichi. No ruins remain, and the site is now that of Chūbunishi Elementary School. There is a signboard with information about the jin'ya next to the school's entrance. I came here incidentally on my way back from
History
Yokkaichi-jin'ya, a daikansho-type jin'ya, was established in 1603 by Mizutani Mitsukatsu, a hatamoto (bannerman of the Shogunate). The territory is interesting in that it was retained by Tokugawa Ieyasu from 1590 despite his transfer to Kantō by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the forfeit of much of the rest of his territory in the region.
Yokkaichi-jin'ya was surrounded by moats and earthen ramparts. The layout was fan-shaped and there were front and rear entrances with wooden bridges spanning the moats. The moats ranged from 9m to 24m in width, with the curving portion of the moat being widest. The longest side of the fort, north to south, was 83m long. Due to this relatively high security for a humble daikansho, it is thought that Yokkaichi-jin'ya was built to be able to accomodate the shōgun should he travel this way to Kyōto.
In 1716, Yokkaichi-jin'ya became part of a sub-domain of the Shigaraki fief in Kōka County under the Tarao Clan. However, in either case, it remained a hatamoto jin'ya. In 1724, however, ownership was transferred to Yamato-Kôriyama Domain under Yanagisawa Kichisato; so, Yokkaichi-jin'ya became a daikansho for a daimyō instead of the bakufu (shogunate). Shigaraki, along with Yokkaichi, again reverted to tenryō (shogunal holdings) in 1801.
Yokkaichi-jin'ya was decommissioned in 1871, and, in the founding years of the Meiji period, was converted into a branch office of the short-lived Watarai Prefecture. In 1872, it became the prefectural headquarters of modern Mie Prefecture. The prefectural offices and whatever remained of the Edo period jin'ya, however, were razed during the 1876 Ise Riots which were akin to a small war, one of the many violent birthing pangs of modern Japan.
After this the moats were filled in, the embankments levelled, and the site of the jin'ya eventually became a school which is still in place today. No ruins remain but there is a signboard about the jin'ya in front of the school.
Field Notes
Yokkaichi-jin'ya is a former jin'ya site in the Kitamachi neighbourhood of downtown Yokkaichi. No ruins remain, and the site is now that of Chūbunishi Elementary School. There is a signboard with information about the jin'ya next to the school's entrance. I came here incidentally on my way back from a cycling tour of sites in the countryside around Yokkaichi.
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Yokkaichi Jin'ya |
| Japanese Name | 四日市陣屋 |
| Founder | Mizutani Mitsukatsu |
| Year Founded | 1603 |
| Castle Type | Flatland |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Edo Period |
| Features | |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Kintetsu-Yokkaichi Station; 15 min walk |
| Hours | Access Limited |
| Time Required | 5 mins |
| Location | Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 34.97057, 136.62654 |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2025 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Jōkaku Shashin Kiroku | |
| Yogo | |
