Funagatayama Castle
Funagatayamajō ('Boat-shaped Mount Castle') is a yamajiro (mountaintop castle) ruin on the border of Iwasaki and Unoya townships in Toyohashi Municipality. Ruins consists of earthworks such as trenches, bulwarks and baileys. The ladder-like layout of the fort follows the ridge. The lower reaches of
History
Funagatayamajō was constructed in 1492 at the behest of the Imagawa Clan. The castellan was Tame Matasaburō, an Imagawa Clan vassal. In response to this provocation, Toda Munemitsu constructed Nirengijō in 1493. Funagatayamajō was sacked by Toda Munemitsu in 1497, and Tame Matasaburō was slain in the assault.
In 1499, Asahina Yasumochi of Kakegawajō marched forth under orders from Imagawa Ujichika and re-took Funagatayamajō with overwhelming force. It is reported in the Imagawa Fuka ('Imagawa Family Chronicles') that Toda Danjō was killed at Funagatayamajō at this time, and there is a theory that this personage was Toda Munemitsu, but this is thought to be erroneous as Toda Munemitsu lived until 1508.
Although the Imagawa would recapture Funagatayamajō, the Toda and Imagawa would continue to contest control of the fort with battles in 1517, the battle of Funagatayama (this battle may be conflated with earlier battles mentioned), and in 1533 when a huge fire engulfed the mountain.
Tokugawa Ieyasu gave the castle to the Ogasawara Clan in 1568 in anticipation of an invasion by Takeda Shingen.
Field Notes
Funagatayamajō ('Boat-shaped Mount Castle') is a yamajiro (mountaintop castle) ruin on the border of Iwasaki and Unoya townships in Toyohashi Municipality. Ruins consists of earthworks such as trenches, bulwarks and baileys. The ladder-like layout of the fort follows the ridge. The lower reaches of the castle features large horikiri (trenches dug into the ridge). The upper castle contains the main bailey area, which is flanked in the west with dorui (earthen ramaprts). Flattened areas along with the ridge with steep sides are baileys, and some baileys are terraced. To the rear of the main bailey is a horikiri with a dobashi (earthen bridge).
The site of Funagatayamajō is a little far from the station, but it is on a well maintained hiking trail which straddles the chain of mountains between Aichi and Shizuoka prefectures. That trail starts very close to Futagawa Station at Ihōseki-jinja, so I climbed from there. On the ascent I climbed over all of the peaks along the ridge, which was thirsty work in the warm spring weather, but on the return I took the shady side paths along the mountainside to avoid the ups-and-downs, which seemed to take me less than half the time.
Gallery
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Funagatayama Castle |
| Japanese Name | 船形山城 |
| Founder | Tame Matasaburō |
| Year Founded | 1492 |
| Castle Type | Mountaintop |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Artifacts | Horikiri, Kuruwa, Dorui, &c. |
| Features | trenches |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Futagawa Station on the Chūō Main Line; 7 min walk to trailhead, 90+ min hike. |
| Hours | 24/7 free; mountain |
| Time Required | 30 mins |
| URL | Castle Website |
| Location | Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 34.74524, 137.46773 |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2025 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Jōkaku Hōrōki | |
| Umoreta Kojō | |
| Shiseki Yawa | |
| Yogo | |
