Kitabatakeshi Yakata
Kiriyama Castle is on top of the mountain and Kitabatakeshi Yakata (residence) is at the foot of the mountain. If you are going by train you will need all day 'cause there are only a few trains per day. There is a bus from Ise-Okitsu Station but not many. It was quicker for me to walk. I got off
History
The Kitabatake clan was descended from the Imperial family and was appointed governors of Ise Domain (Mie Pref.) around 1336. Part of their domain included the most sacred Ise Shrine. Having been of noble birth, they enjoyed the finer things in life, and built a grand living quarters and an administrative center at the foot of Mt. Kiri, with a castle at the top of the 570m high mountain. They lived there for around 200 years, until Oda Nobunaga decided he wanted Ise for himself, and organized for his son, Nobukatsu, to marry the daughter of Lord Kitabatake. Nobukatsu later killed his father-in-law, imprisoned his grandfather-in-law and usurped Kitabatake power. Then he made the mistake of attempting to take neighboring domains, and failed miserably. His father, Oda Nobunaga did not like failure, and in 1576 sent 20,000 samurai to capture the entire region. He started with an attack on the Kitabatake's castle, destroying the castle and the elegant structures below it. Only the beautiful gardens remain.
Field Notes
Kiriyama Castle is on top of the mountain and Kitabatakeshi Yakata (residence) is at the foot of the mountain. If you are going by train you will need all day 'cause there are only a few trains per day. There is a bus from Ise-Okitsu Station but not many. It was quicker for me to walk. I got off the train at Hitsu Station, the station before Ise-Okitsu Station, and walked about 45 mins to the entrance to the hiking trail. Went through Kiriyama-jo, then down the mountain to Kitabatakeshi Yakata and walked about 1 hr to Ise-Okitsu Station. It was worth the trouble. So glad I got to see it!
Original profile, text and cover photo by AndrewA (2020). Expanded photo gallery and update by ART (2024).
Update by ART: Japan's oldest ishigaki (stonewalls)?
Kitabatake(shi)-yakata is a fortified manor hall site in the village of Tage, Misugi Township, Tsu Municipality. Not many ruins can be seen, but there are information boards and monuments on the grounds of the Kitabatake Shrine. There is one sign which has pictures of ishigaki that was unearthed on the site. These ishigaki segments, now re-buried, are stated to be the oldest in Japan! I think this title needs some qualification: the ishigaki is from 550 years ago, and may represent the oldest stonewalls at a medieval jōkan (castle-manor hall complex) ruin. However, there are older extant examples of ishigaki at fortification sites dating all the way back to the 7th century, such as at Chikuzen-Ônojō and other kodai-yamajiro (ancient mountaintop castles).
The manor hall site's most prominent remains are the moss-coated medieval strolling garden remarkably well preserved on the shrine grounds. Entry into the small garden is paid, and one can ask for permission to enter at the shrine office. A stone bridge crosses a koi-filled pond, and moss has grown rich and effulgent beneath the shaded canopies of cedars. Standing stones and artificial hills surrounding the pond make up the landscape of this quiet garden reposeful for centuries.
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| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Kitabatakeshi Yakata |
| Japanese Name | 北畠氏館 |
| Alternate Names | Kiriyama-jo, Tage-jo |
| Founder | Kitabatake Akiyoshi |
| Year Founded | 1342 |
| Castle Type | Fortified Manor |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Designations | Next 100 Castles, National Historic Site |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Features | trenches |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Hitsu Station (JR Meisho Line), walk 45 minutes to hiking trail or Ise-Okitsu Station (JR Meisho Line) and bus. |
| Hours | Gardens open 9:00-16:30; ¥300; ask at shrine office |
| Time Required | 30 minutes |
| URL | Castle Website |
| Location | Tsu, Mie Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 34.51844, 136.29906 |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2020 |
| Contributor | Andrew A |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Jōkaku Hōrōki | |
