Banba Castle
Banbajō is a yamajiro (mountaintop castle) ruin in Banba Township, Maibara Municipality. The layout is a of a single bailey complex with some terracing to the front and a rear horikiri (trench) on the ridge. The remains of dorui (earthen ramparts) surround the main bailey. There is perhaps some remn
History
Banbajō was constructed by the Doi Clan in the Muromachi period as a fortified redoubt for their residential compound in the valley below. However, the ruins we see today may date to later, and it is thought that Banbajō became a satellite fortification of Kamahajō on the mountain above.
Field Notes
Banbajō is a yamajiro (mountaintop castle) ruin in Banba Township, Maibara Municipality. The layout is a of a single bailey complex with some terracing to the front and a rear horikiri (trench) on the ridge. The remains of dorui (earthen ramparts) surround the main bailey. There is perhaps some remnant masonry here or there. Banbajō is a very basic and typical small-scale yamajiro, but worth a stop if you're visiting Kamahajō.
It seems the area below Banbajō became the site of the Hori Clan's kyokan (residential annex). The Hori Clan displaced the Doi Clan and built Kamahajō. It's difficult, however, to distinguish any terracing or old masonry here from the remains of later development of terraced agriculture. Now the area is covered in bamboo (...Banba bamboo). There is a commemorative stele for a temple, Konpukuji, which used to stand beneath the castle-mount. Stone-lined terraces here likely originate with the temple.
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Banba Castle |
| Japanese Name | 番場城 |
| Founder | Doi Clan |
| Year Founded | Muromachi Period |
| Castle Type | Mountaintop |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Artifacts | Dorui, Kuruwa, Horikiri |
| Features | trenches |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Maibara Stn on Tōkaidō Main Line; 20 min bus to Banba |
| Hours | 24/7 free; mountain |
| Time Required | 35 mins |
| URL | Castle Website |
| Location | Maibara, Shiga Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 35.30523, 136.3105 |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2025 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Jōkaku Hōrōki | |
| Kojōshi Tanbō | |
| Jōkakuzukan | |
| Jōseki Meguri Bibōroku | |
