Koizumi Castle (Yamato)

Koizumijō is a medieval castle ruin and jin'ya site in Koizumi Township, Yamato-Kôriyama Municipality. Fortification ruins remain in the form of a system of mizubori (water moats), now the happy home of many a pond turtle. The main residence on the site today, called Kōrin'an in the style of a tea

History

Koizumijō belonged to the Koizumi Clan. It was constructed in the Muromachi period, though it is not known when exactly. It was likely in place circa 1440 under Koizumi Shigehiro. The Koizumi Clan were vassals of the Ochi Clan and they warred with the Tsutsui Clan. Koizumijō was attacked by Tsutsui forces in 1457 and 1459, and fell in the latter assault. It is recorded in the Daijōin Jisha Zajiki ('Various Records of Daijō Temple') that villagers from throughout Yamato Province were recruited as corvée labour in order to demolish the fortifications.

In 1585, when Hashiba Hidenaga (Toyotomi Hideyoshi's brother) became lord of Kôriyamajō, his vassal, Hatada Masachika, became castellan of Koizumijō, and the castle became the centre of a fief valued at 40,000 koku. Koizumi Castle was rebuilt and expanded at this time with the construction of the Naginata Moat. At its peak the castle consisted of three baileys surrounded by mizubori (water moats).

Following the battle of Sekiǵahara, Katagiri Sadataka (Katagiri Katsumoto's younger brother) became lord of Koizumijō, and it seems Koizumi formed a sub-domain of Settsu-Ibaraki at that time valued at 15,000 koku. The Katagiri were based primarily in Settsu during the Ôsaka campaigns.

In 1622, Koizumijō was converted into Koizumi-jin'ya (with holdings valued at 16,400 koku). Villagers relocated their residences to the highway and a castle-town formed, guarded by three gates. The jin'ya had an inner and outer moat. The inner moat encompassed the lord's palace, and the outer moat contained the residences of vassals, with the commoners living in the castle-town beyond that.

The Katagiri Clan ruled Koizumi-jin'ya for twelve generations until after the abolition of feudalism in 1873. The second lord, Katagiri Sadamasa, was the founder of the Sekishū-ryū, a school of tea ceremony (he also divided his territory with his brothers, reducing Koizumi Domain holdings to 12,000 koku), which continues to this day.

Field Notes

Koizumijō is a medieval castle ruin and jin'ya site in Koizumi Township, Yamato-Kôriyama Municipality. Fortification ruins remain in the form of a system of mizubori (water moats), now the happy home of many a pond turtle.

The main residence on the site today, called Kōrin'an in the style of a teahouse, is private land, and it does not appear to be open to the public at this time, though formerly it was. The residence is large, and the architecture is old, but it is not clear whether any of it is related to the 17th century jin'ya. The Katagiri family, former lords of the castle, still live at the site to this day, and continue their traditions in the way of tea.

The most salient castle feature, a small two-tier turret, is a modern reconstruction, but a reconstruction date appears unknown to the collective. Some sources generously call it a fukkō (reconstruction of dubious authenticity) whilst others just go with mogi (faux-reconstruction). I had been looking forward to seeing it and the other buildings of the residence from across the moat, but large trees and bushes now obscure much of the view. Luckily the tower can still be seen from the road.

Two relocated gates survive from the jin'ya. Firstly there is the omotemon (front gate) of Koizumi-jinja nearby. This tall gate does not have solid doors on, however, so it's not clear that the form hasn't been modified from the original structure. The second relocated gate is now the west gate of Konrin'in, a temple also in Koizumi Township.

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Gallery

Yagura and storehouse
Moat and yagura
Terrapintopia
Reconstructed Yagura
Yagura detail
Storehouse
Mizubori (water moat)
Koizumi-jinja Omotemon
Koizumi-jinja Omotemon
Koizumi-jinja Omotemon
Koizumi-jinja Omotemon
Relocated gate at Konrin'in
Relocated gate at Konrin'in
Relocated gate at Konrin'in
Relocated gate at Konrin'in

Castle Profile
English Name	Koizumi Castle (Yamato)
Japanese Name	大和小泉城
Alternate Names	Koizumi-jin'ya (小泉陣屋)
Founder	Koizumi Clan
Year Founded	c.1440; 1585
Castle Type	Flatland
Castle Condition	No main keep but other buildings
Historical Period	Edo Period
Artifacts	Mizubori, Mogi Yagura, Relocated Gates
Features	gates, turrets, palace, water moats, walls
Visitor Information
Access	Yamato-Koizumi Station on the Yamatoji Line; 15 min walk
Hours	Access Limited
Time Required	30 mins
Location	Yamato-Kôriyama, Nara Prefecture
Coordinates	34.62773, 135.75416
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2025
Contributor	ART
Admin Year Visited	Viewer Contributed
Friends of JCastle
Jōkaku Hōrōki
Umoreta Kojō
Oshiro Tabi Nikki
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