Kannonji Castle

From Azuchi Sta. rent a bicycle and get a map that will show you how to get to the Kuwanomi Temple (桑實寺), itself an important cultural property. From there it's a beautiful walk up a stone paved mountain path to the main part of the castle. It's almost a 60 min walk straight up so wear good shoes an

History

It's not known exactly when this castle was built but the oldest records show it existed as early as 1335 and was probably built by the Sasaki. At one point during the Onin War the castle was turned over to the Ashikaga for a short term.

The Rokkaku rebuilt much of the castle during the Sengoku Period, but they gradually lost power and the castle was abandoned. In 1560, Rokkaku Yoshikata lost an important battle to the Asai Clan. The execution of Goto Katatoyo in 1563 created much dissention among the Rokkaku retainers. When Nobunaga took control of the region in 1568, the Rokkaku were simply swept aside and they fled the castle. After Nobunaga built Azuchi Castle just a few kilometers away, Kannonji Castle was most likely abandoned but some stories say it was still used in a minor capacity.

The original castle nearly covered the mountain with baileys, stone walls and earthen walls. It was one of the most extensive mountaintop castles built.

Field Notes

From Azuchi Sta. rent a bicycle and get a map that will show you how to get to the Kuwanomi Temple (桑實寺), itself an important cultural property. From there it's a beautiful walk up a stone paved mountain path to the main part of the castle. It's almost a 60 min walk straight up so wear good shoes and be prepared.

This was one of the most fun castle sites that I've visited. I like castles and hiking so this was perfect. There are ruins scattered all over the mountaintop in varying states and some of the trails are not well marked. Even though it was a fairly busy day with many people visiting the temples and enjoying some autumn hiking in the good weather, there were trails that had no people on them too. I will definitely go back sometime, with a better map and take my time exploring all the ruins. Despite the long time I spent there, I think I still missed some things even in the areas I did visit.

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Gallery

Hirai Bailey Entrance
Trail to Kuwanomi Temple
Trail to Kuwanomi Temple
Stone walls of Kuwanomi Temple
Trail from the temple to the castle
Horikiri type dry moat
stone walls near the well
Honmaru entrance stone walls
Honmaru stone walls
Honmaru entrance stone walls
Hirai Bailey stone walls
Hirai Bailey stone walls
Hirai Bailey stone walls
Hirai Bailey stone walls
Path to the Ikeda Bailey
Ikeda Bailey stone walls
Ikeda Bailey stone walls
Ikeda Bailey
Ikeda Bailey stone walls
Ikeda Bailey entrance stone walls
Path outside the Ikeda Bailey
Path outside the Ikeda Bailey
Stone stairs to the Sannomaru Bailey
Stone walls
Stone walls
Path on the mountain
horikiri
Stone walls
Awaji Bailey stone walls
Awaji Bailey
Awaji Bailey stone walls
Mt. Kinugasa
Uzumimon ruin, Hirai Bailey
Stone walls (大石垣)
Stone walls (大石垣)
View from "Big Ishigaki" bailey
Stone walls
Stone walls
Stone walls
Stone walls next to a path ruin
Stone walls, one of the smaller baileys
Stone walls
stone walls, site of a gate ruin
Two-tiered stone walls

Castle Profile
English Name	Kannonji Castle
Japanese Name	観音寺城
Founder	Sasaki clan
Year Founded	1335 (?)
Castle Type	Mountaintop
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Designations	Top 100 Castles, Top 100 Mountaintop Castles, National Historic Site
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Features	trenches, stone walls
Visitor Information
Access	Azuchi Sta. (JR Tokaido Line)
Hours	If you enter or exit through Kuwanomi Temple you'll need to pay the admission fee of 300 yen. Hours are 900-1630.
Time Required	4 hrs
URL	Castle Website
Location	Azuchi, Shiga Prefecture
Coordinates	35.14544, 136.16293
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2007
Contributor	Eric
Admin Year Visited	2011
Admin Visits	November 26, 2011

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