Gion Castle

At first this looks a lot like Sano Castle but the ruins are much more extensive and the original castle was even larger. The trenches and embankments out the north side of the castle are impressive. The umadashi bailey and entrance before the Honmaru is also particularly interesting and well

History

In the early days, Gion Castle was actually a satellite fortification of Washi Castle, but during the Nanbokucho Period (1336-1392), the Oyama moved their center to Gion Castle. In 1576 Oyama Hidetsuna capitulated to the Hojo who took over the castle. The Hojo renovated and expanded the castle making it a forward operating base for incursions into the northern Kanto region. Since the Oyama were allied with Hojo, their lands were confiscated after the Siege of Odawara and the fall of the Hojo. The Oyama line ended and the castle was put in the hands of Yuki Hideyasu. After the Battle of Sekigahara, Tokugawa's ally, Honda Masazumi, became the new lord of the castle. Gion Castle was abandoned when Honda moved to Utsunomiya Castle in 1619.

Field Notes

At first this looks a lot like Sano Castle but the ruins are much more extensive and the original castle was even larger. The trenches and embankments out the north side of the castle are impressive. The umadashi bailey and entrance before the Honmaru is also particularly interesting and well preserved. The umadashi bailey itself is quite large and the trenches deep. You might not recognize it as an umadashi without the sign. Combined with Washi Castle and Nakakuki Castle these sites, called the Oyama Castle Ruins, are designated as National Historic Sites.

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Gallery

Entranceway today
Sannomaru Bailey
Ninomaru Bailey with embankment along the side
Honmaru embankment
Looking out over the river from the Ninomaru area
Honmaru trench
Honmaru trench
Honmaru trench
Ninomaru Bailey
Umadashi and trench
Umadashi and trench
Tsukada Bailey embankment
Kita Kubo Bailey
North side trench and embankments
Trenches along the north side
North side trench and embankments
Trench along the northeast side
Palace foundation.This sat just outside the entrance to the castle proper.
Depiction of the palace
Map

Castle Profile
English Name	Gion Castle
Japanese Name	祗園城
Alternate Names	Oyama-jo
Founder	Oyama Masamitsu
Year Founded	late Heian Period / early Kamakura Period
Castle Type	Flatland
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Designations	National Historic Site
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Features	trenches
Visitor Information
Access	Oyama Sta. (JR Tohoku Line) 12 min walk
Hours	park, open any time
Time Required	30 mins
URL	Castle Website
Location	Oyama, Tochigi Prefecture
Coordinates	36.31981, 139.80005
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2018
Contributor	Eric
Admin Year Visited	2018
Admin Visits	April 30, 2018

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