Yomogyu Castle
Yomogyūjō is a hillside yakata (fortified manor hall) site located in Yomogyū Township, Okazaki Municipality. The locale (koaza) is called Shimonokiri after a pass which was cut to allow trade. Ruins of the later incarnation of the residence - the jin'ya - have been suggested in the form of the ishi
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History
This site has two stages, firstly as a medieval residence built by the Kojima Clan who were granted the manor of Yomogyū by the Ashikaga Shogunate in the early 14th century, and then from 1600 to 1684 when it operated as a hatamoto (bannerman) jin'ya (administrative offices) established by Kojima Tadami (worth only 450 koku). In the late 1550s the Kojima Clan fought with the neighbouring Ao Clan of Hadanashi to maintain a hold of their territory, and so Yomogyūjō may have been fortified and maybe attacked at that time. What ruins remain date to the 17th century.
Field Notes
Yomogyūjō is a hillside yakata (fortified manor hall) site located in Yomogyū Township, Okazaki Municipality. The locale (koaza) is called Shimonokiri after a pass which was cut to allow trade. Ruins of the later incarnation of the residence - the jin'ya - have been suggested in the form of the ishigaki (stonewalls) that terrace the hillside. It's hard to get a good look at these ishigaki, however, as the site is now housing and vegetable patches. What masonry remains has probably been re-piled over the centuries, but there are some impressive segments.
The structure of the site could be said to be made up of three bands of terracing on the hillside. The relative height of the topmost would be about 13m above the valley floor. What we could consider the tallest former ramparts of the site, though now very overgrown and any masonry mostly hidden, can be found opposite the altar to Jizō where a small river, the Kobegawa, winds past.
I also found an abandoned temple in the village called Ensekiji. Since it has the zodiograph for 'ruin' in its name, I couldn't determine whether this was a bad omen or auspicious. After all, this incredibly minor site proved surprisingly interesting.
Gallery
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Yomogyu Castle |
| Japanese Name | 蓬生城 |
| Alternate Names | Yomogyūjō (蓬生陣屋) / Kojima-yashiki (小島屋敷) |
| Founder | Kojima Clan; Kojima Tadami |
| Year Founded | Early 14th Century; 1600 |
| Castle Type | Fortified Manor |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Edo Period |
| Features | stone walls |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Otogawa-Seseragi-michi / Aichi Prefectural Route 37; 'Teimeijizōson' on Google Maps |
| Hours | Access Limited |
| Time Required | 20 mins |
| Location | Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 34.93933, 137.26789 |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2025 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Umoreta Kojō | |
| Jōkaku Shashin Kiroku | |
| Aichi Shiro | |
| Aichi Rekishi Meguri | |
