Komuro Castle
Komurojō is a small-scale Edo period castle and jin'ya site in Komuro Township, Nagahama Municipality. No ruins remain, and the site is now forested. There is a small rock formation and stele monument for the site, as well as a signboard with a map behind. Adjacent to the site is an old, small templ
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History
In 1604, Kobori Masakazu, better known to history as tea master Kobori Enshū, was granted the Ōmi-Komuro fiefdom for his income. In 1648, his son, Kobori Masayuki, built Komurojō after inheriting his father's estate the year before. Four more generations lorded the small domain until 1788 when Kobori Masakata lost it (due to backing a losing political faction at the Shogunal court as well as mishandling his magisterial duties, and corruption). The castle was thereupon decommissioned and reclaimed for farmland.
There is a temple opposite the castle site called Yakindō. It was surrounded by an old earthen-ceramic wall and gate said to have been built by Kobori Enshū himself, but the wall was very regrettably demolished in recent years. The temple hall and altar remain, and do appear very aged and aesthetically pleasing, and so one can see why Kobori Enshū's sensibilities are associated with them.
Field Notes
Komurojō is a small-scale Edo period castle and jin'ya site in Komuro Township, Nagahama Municipality. No ruins remain, and the site is now forested. There is a small rock formation and stele monument for the site, as well as a signboard with a map behind. Adjacent to the site is an old, small temple hall called Yakindō associated with the lineage of famous tea master and garden-designer, Kobori Enshū.
When the castle, essentially a lightly fortified residence, was decommissioned in 1788, several gates were repurposed at nearby sites, mostly temples. In addition to at the temples Saishōji, Saitsūji and Jōrakuji, there is also a relocated gate at a private residence in nearby Kitanogō Township.
Gallery
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Komuro Castle |
| Japanese Name | 小室城 |
| Alternate Names | Komuro-jin'ya |
| Founder | Kobori Masayuki |
| Year Founded | 1648 |
| Castle Type | Hilltop |
| Castle Condition | No main keep but other buildings |
| Historical Period | Edo Period |
| Artifacts | Relocated Gates x4 |
| Features | gates |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Nearest station is Kawake Station on the Hokuriku Line. At junction of routes 265 and 272 head directly north. |
| Hours | 24/7 free; temple |
| Time Required | 30 mins |
| Location | Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 35.45873, 136.30639 |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2025 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Jōkaku Hōrōki | |
| Oshiro Tabi Nikki | |
| Jōshi Meguri Bibōroku | |
