Kotsukuri Castle
Kotsukurijō is a hirajiro (flatland castle) ruin in Kotsukuri Township, Tsu Minicipality. The site is now rice paddies and little remains. There is a small mound of earth with a signboard and stele marking the castle site atop.
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History
Kotsukurijō was constructed by Koźukuri Akitoshi, the second son of Kitabatake Akiyoshi, in 1336. In 1415, the main Kitabatake family and the Koźukuri branch found themselves on opposing sides of the war between factions of the imperial court, with the Koźukuri Clan supporting Ashikaga Mochiyoshi, the Shōgun, and Kotsukurijō was attacked by Kitabatake forces whilst staging a rebellion. Kotsukurijō fell to Kitabatake forces, but, in response, the shogunate dispatched a large force of over ten thousand men, led by Toki Mochimasu and others. Kotsukurijō had been siezed by Kitabatake Masatoshi, the lord of Hazejō, and he defended it with two thousand men. The siege ended with Kitabatake Masatoshi fleeing back to Hazejō, and Lord Toshiyasu getting his castle back.
In 1528, Koźukuri Toshishige rebuilt Kotsukurijō a little to the north due to the old fort sinking on unstable terrain. When Oda Nobunaga invaded Ise Province in 1569, Koźukuri Tomomasa rebelled against Kitabatake Tomonori in order to support the invasion forces, led by Takigawa Kazumasu. Kazumasu had won over Tomonori's top retainers. Tomonori besieged Kotsukurijō, but Kazumasu's gigantic relief force quickly forced Kitabatake forces to retreat back to their mountain redoubts. The war ended with the Kitabatake Clan surrendering and accepting Oda Nobukatsu as their new sovereign.
In 1584, Gamō Ujisato was granted a fiefdom by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in Ise worth 120,000 koku, headquarted at Matsuǵashimajō. The Koźukuri resisted their new overlord, however, with father and son Koźukuri Tomomasa and Tomoyasu rebelling. Kotsukurijō was then put to siege by Gamō Ujisato. The fighting was fierce, and Koźukuri forces also attacked aggressively, and Gamō Ujisato lost many officers. However, the Koźukuri were out-manned and out-gunned, and their fort was already showing its age. Koźukuri Tomoyasu surrendered Kotsukurijō and fled to Owari. Kotsukurijō was destroyed and not rebuilt.
Field Notes
Kotsukurijō is a hirajiro (flatland castle) ruin in Kotsukuri Township, Tsu Minicipality. The site is now rice paddies and little remains. There is a small mound of earth with a signboard and stele marking the castle site atop.
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| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Kotsukuri Castle |
| Japanese Name | 木造城 |
| Founder | Koźukuri Toshishige |
| Year Founded | 1528 |
| Castle Type | Flatland |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Designations | Local Historic Site |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Artifacts | Dorui |
| Features | |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Momozono Station on the Kintetsu-Nagoya Line; or, Takachaya Station on the Kisei Main Line; 30 minute walk |
| Hours | 24/7 free; fields |
| Time Required | 10 minutes |
| Location | Tsu, Mie Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 34.6589, 136.49762 |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2024 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Jōkaku Hōrōki | |
| Kojōdan | |
| Shiseki Yawa | |
