Honjin'yama Castle (Mino)
Honjin'yamajō is a yamajiro (mountaintop castle) ruin in Mitake Township, Kani County. It is twinned with Gongen'yamajō on the hill to the east, and the two sites together are called Mitakejō. The name 'Honjin', meaning 'main camp', would suggest that Honjin'yamajō was the main fort of the two, thou
History
Honjin'yamajō is thought to have been built circa 1550 by the Oguri Clan. Along with Gongen'yamajō on the neighbouring hilltop, it was known as Mitakejō. In 1552, the Oguri attacked nearby Takayamajō but were pushed back. In repraisal, Mitakejō was attacked by Ozato and Tôyama clansmen, and the Oguri Clan boss fell on his sword.
In 1565 Oda Nobunaga conquered Mino Province and made Mori Yoshinari lord of Kaneyamajō. The Oguri Clan became vassals of the Mori. The Oguri would relocated along with the Mori from Mino, and Mitakejō was abandoned in 1599.
Field Notes
Honjin'yamajō is a yamajiro (mountaintop castle) ruin in Mitake Township, Kani County. It is twinned with Gongen'yamajō on the hill to the east, and the two sites together are called Mitakejō. The name 'Honjin', meaning 'main camp', would suggest that Honjin'yamajō was the main fort of the two, though there is now less to see there than at Gongen'yamajō in terms of castle ruins. Both sites are maintained as parks, and Honjin'yamajō has an observation platform atop.
Maps suggest that Honjin'yamajō was made up of several baileys, with the peak bailey being the main bailey, but narrow, perhaps serving as a look-out. There are terraced baileys below along the vestigal ridges, and on the slope to the east. Beneath the uppermost bailey was a trench system with a dobashi (earthen bridge). These chutes are very overgrown now but can just be made out on the hillside. If the trench cut across the whole hilltop then it has now been filled in for the park. The large lower bailey may have served as the de facto main bailey, although it looks like it has also been altered and enlarged for the park. It has a cloister of wisteria pergolas surrounding it.
The castle-mount has been converted into a park, and parkland further expands below. If the castle's kyokan (residential annex) was here, then it would've been quite a large area, deserving of the designation 'Honjin'. However, it's impossible to know now just by looking what the original structure of the entire fort complex looked like. The suburban housing estates of Nanzandai West and Nanzandai East are divided by the castle-mount. I came to Honjin'yamajō via Nanzandai-higashi from Gongen-yamajō. This meant I didn't have to climb from the very bottom of the hill, but the stairway up from Nanzandai-higashi were nonetheless a lot to do at a dash! I descended via Nanzandai-nishi and went back to Mitake Station, completing my walking circuit of the two sites.
Gallery
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Honjin'yama Castle (Mino) |
| Japanese Name | 美濃本陣山城・美濃御嵩城 |
| Alternate Names | Mino-Mitakejō (美濃御嵩城) |
| Founder | Oguri Clan |
| Year Founded | c.1550 |
| Castle Type | Mountaintop |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Features | trenches |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Mitake Station on the Meitetsu-Hiromi Line; 25 min walk. |
| Hours | 24/7 free; park |
| Time Required | 30 mins |
| Location | Kani, Gifu Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 35.42385, 137.13392 |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2025 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Jōkaku Hōrōki | |
| Yogo | |
