Dodo Fort
Dodo-toride is a yamajiro (mountainside) fort ruin in Iwato Township, Okazaki Municipality. The site is made up of terraces built into the mountainside with possible traces of trenches and masonry. I climbed up from the north, from beside the Oto River. I was following a map provided by gentleman ca
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History
The prospective date of Dodo-toride's construction in 14th century is based on its structure and remains, and no history is associated with this site. Perhaps it was used as a redoubt for Iwatojō in the valley below. Iwatojō, essentially a fortified manor hall, belonged to the Amano Clan in the 14th century. There is a folkloric tale that the lord of the manor was killed in battle and his wife went up to the mountain to die, becoming a white dragon.
Field Notes
Dodo-toride is a yamajiro (mountainside) fort ruin in Iwato Township, Okazaki Municipality. The site is made up of terraces built into the mountainside with possible traces of trenches and masonry. I climbed up from the north, from beside the Oto River. I was following a map provided by gentleman castle-blogger at 'Shiro to Rekishi Aruki wo Tanoshimu (shiro-rekishimeguri)'.
There were several terraces before the site of the fort ruins as shown on the map. The upper of these terraces was just a couple of stages below the fort. On the way up I thought these were just formerly cultivated terraces, and indeed the fort terraces may have been so too, but I also wondered if they were part of the fort. The mountain is covered in rocks and boulders, and I wondered if these formations had been incorporated into an ad-hoc defensive space. There are smaller stone blocks stacked to shore up teracces.
I went to the top of the mountain to check I wasn't missing anything. There is a look-out platform but nothing that can be positively identified as fortification ruins. This site, which has a brilliant name, is not to be confused with Dōdojō, also in Okazaki Municipality.
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| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Dodo Fort |
| Japanese Name | 百々砦 |
| Founder | Amano Tôsada (theorised) |
| Year Founded | 14th Century |
| Castle Type | Mountaintop |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Artifacts | Tatebori, Dorui, &c. |
| Features | trenches |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | I cycled from Okazaki. 'Hello Cycle' rental bicycles are available in Okazaki. |
| Hours | 24/7 free; mountain |
| Time Required | 30 minutes |
| URL | Castle Website |
| Location | Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 34.96334, 137.25094 |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2024 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Jōkaku Shashin Kiroku | |
