Horiuchi Shingu Castle
Horiuchi-Shingūjō is a former hirajiro (flatland castle) site in Shingū Municipality. What was once a fortified residence surrounded by a moat is now the site of the temple Zenryūji. The walled temple contains a somewhat elongated and angled mound, which I wondered whether wasn't part of some old ea
History
Horiuchi-Shingūjō is the predecessor castle to nearby Shingūjō. Here, 'Horiuchi' refers to the Horiuchi Clan, which had been warlords in the Kumano area from the start of the Sengoku period. In 1591, the Horiuchi Clan's rule was made official by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and they made Horiuchi-Shingūjō their fortified residence. The Horiuchi joined Hideyoshi's campaign in Korea.
The Horiuchi Clan supported Ishida Mitsunari during the battle of Sekiǵahara, invading Ise with a small force of three-hundred-and-fifty soldiers. They soon retreated, and the Horiuchi were attacked at their base in Shingū by Kuwayama Kazushige and surrendered. In the Edo period, Shingūjō replaced Horiuchi- Shingūjō.
The angled waterway and road in front of the temple, if indicating the site's former footprint, would form a rectangle of about 90m by 160m. The site seems to have been lightly fortified and smallish considering the time period and the size of the Horiuchi's domain (27,000 koku on paper but up to 60,000 koku in productive assets). However, there was a nearby medieval hilltop fort called Yagurajō (also Myōjin'yamajō) and this is thought to have been incorporated into Horiuchi-Shingūjō's defences (one historical document mentions the hilltop fort as belonging to the Horiuchi at that time).
Field Notes
Horiuchi-Shingūjō is a former hirajiro (flatland castle) site in Shingū Municipality. What was once a fortified residence surrounded by a moat is now the site of the temple Zenryūji. The walled temple contains a somewhat elongated and angled mound, which I wondered whether wasn't part of some old earthen ramparts. There is a waterway to the rear of the temple which runs by aged, shambolic houses. This is said to have been originally where the castle's moat ran.
Gallery
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Horiuchi Shingu Castle |
| Japanese Name | 堀内新宮城 |
| Alternate Names | Shingūjō |
| Founder | Horiuchi Clan |
| Year Founded | 1591 |
| Castle Type | Fortified Manor |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Designations | Local Historic Site |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Features | water moats |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Shingū Station on the Kisei Line; 15 min walk. |
| Hours | 24/7 free; temple |
| Time Required | 10 mins |
| URL | Castle Website |
| Location | Shingū, Wakayama Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 33.72665, 135.98597 |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2025 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Jōkaku Hōrōki | |
| Jōkaku Shashin Kiroku | |
