Kibyu Castle
Kibyūjō is a yamajiro (mountiantop castle) ruin on Mount Kibyū, straddling the border between the townships of Chikaoka and Inokuchi in Toyota Municipality. Kibyūjō is one of the 'seven castles of Asuke' surrounding the town of Asuke. The ruins feature kuruwa (baileys), horikiri (trenches), tatebori
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History
Kibyūjō is said to have been constructed by Asuke Shigenana at the start of the Kamakura period. It was used as a complex of fortifications surrounding and protecting the town of Asuke. Of these Kibyūjō was relatively outlying and elevated, giving strategic views. The main castle in this fort network was Iimorijō. For more information see: Iimoriyama Castle (Asuke).
Field Notes
Kibyūjō is a yamajiro (mountiantop castle) ruin on Mount Kibyū, straddling the border between the townships of Chikaoka and Inokuchi in Toyota Municipality. Kibyūjō is one of the 'seven castles of Asuke' surrounding the town of Asuke. The ruins feature kuruwa (baileys), horikiri (trenches), tatebori (climbing trenches) and such like earthworks.
The layout of the castle is of a single bailey complex, basically, with a short extension along the northwestern ridge. On three ridges leading to the main bailey are horikiri. The northwestern ridge has two horikiri. The map I was using depicted the ridge in between these trenches as a bailey, and it did seem partially flattened, though this part of the castle is quite overgrown and hard to see. The rest of the castle is generally cleared of overgrowth. The northeastern ridge has a horikiri and then two boulders beneath it. The rocks appeared to me significant. They could've been used as a crude gate-support, and the larger rock makes for a good vantage point.
The main bailey area is terraced in the east and south. The southern terraced sub-bailey is spacious and has a big boulder at the end which is a natural observation deck. The easterly terraces are smaller and sequential with a tatebori to the side of them. The main bailey has a narrow profile with a large boulder in the north which almost partitions it. Two horikiri at the castle, one in each northern ordinal direction, are quite wide in their beds, almost saddle-like, and I thought this was a notable feature of the ruins.
Most of the castle area is well-kempt, and is used as a park popular with casual hikers. The views from the main bailey are lovely, and the hilly landscape of the Mikawa interior spreads below. The trail to the castle from Oiwake in the south is well-maintained and takes between thirty and forty minutes to ascend. There are two trails from the south, and the other is from Chikaoka, but it soon joins with the trail from Oiwake. I was looking for signposts indicating the castle trail, but at the start of the trail these were too weathered to read, and I set off toward Chikaoka before realising and going back. When coming from Oiwake, take a left where the route forks. After that there are more signposts, but these ones are legible, and their main purpose is actually to stop people going down old trails. The start of the trail is a little hard to find, but it's easy thereafter to follow.
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| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Kibyu Castle |
| Japanese Name | 黍生城 |
| Founder | Asuke Shigenana |
| Year Founded | Early Kamakura Period |
| Castle Type | Mountaintop |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Features | trenches |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Higashi-Okazaki Station on the Meitetsu-Nagoya Line; bus to Asuke; or, Jōsui Station on the Meitetsu-Toyota Line; bus to Asuke. |
| Hours | 24/7 free; mountain |
| Time Required | 45 minutes |
| URL | Castle Website |
| Location | Toyota, Aichi Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 35.13625, 137.29395 |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2024 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Jōkaku Hōrōki | |
| Umoreta Kojō | |
| Shiro Rekishi Meguri | |
| Jōkaku Shashin Kiroku | |
