Mikage Jin'ya
Mikage-jin'ya is a tenryō daikansho (belonging to the shogunate rather than daimyō) and jin'ya site in Mikageshinden Township, Komoro Municipality. The site today is a small park and private residence with an old thatched-roof building. This kayabuki building is said to date to the time of the jin'y
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History
The jin'ya's origins date to 1650 as a residence of the Kashiwagi Clan who began building waterways and dredging land in Mikage. Mikage-jin'ya was established in 1699 as a tenryō daikansho (shogunate holdings). It was decommissioned in 1720, only to be re-established in 1749 as a branch office of Iijima-jin'ya in Ina County. Then in 1825 it became a branch of Nakanojō-jin'ya in Hanishina County. Although officially decommissioned as a military asset in 1868, it was retained by Owari Domain as a regional base. That same year Ina Prefecture was established. This proto-prefecture was made up of former shogunate holdings discontiguous throughout Shinano Province, from the very north to south. In 1870 Ina Prefecture was merged into Nakano Prefecture which was renamed Nagano Prefecture in 1871 with the addition of Tatsuoka Domain.
Field Notes
Mikage-jin'ya is a tenryō daikansho (belonging to the shogunate rather than daimyō) and jin'ya site in Mikageshinden Township, Komoro Municipality. The site today is a small park and private residence with an old thatched-roof building. This kayabuki building is said to date to the time of the jin'ya when it was used as living quarters for the local magistrate. The entrance to the homestead has a signboard and a torii for a shrine, and I was about to waltz right in before I noticed an old man sitting and smoking on the veranda, whereupon I realised that it was somebody's house. I decided to go to the small neighbouring history museum first to gather information. The museum is dedicated to the waterways of Mikageshinden, as the land was mostly reclaimed in the Edo period from swampland. There is a model of Mikage-jin'ya inside.
A relocated gate from the jin'ya survives and is located at a farmstead in neighbouring Moriyama Township. This small yaguramon (gatehouse) was erected at the jin'ya in 1851 and relocated in 1886. I had not seen this type of gatehouse before where the 'yagura (turret)' is a small room in the gate's gable. There is a signboard hanging from the gate's cross beam which details its origins. I tried to take pictures without entering into the homestead's courtyard. The residence across the street here also drew my attention as it is large and half-enclosed by rowhouses connected to the main living hall. It seems the landowners here benefitted from land reclamation and became quite wealthy.
Gallery
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Mikage Jin'ya |
| Japanese Name | 御影陣屋 |
| Alternate Names | Kashiwagi-yashiki |
| Founder | Kashiwagi Clan |
| Year Founded | 1650; 1699; 1749 |
| Castle Type | Flatland |
| Castle Condition | No main keep but other buildings |
| Designations | Prefectural Historic Site |
| Historical Period | Edo Period |
| Artifacts | Omoya, Yaguramon (relocated) |
| Features | gates, palace |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Mitsuoka Station on the Komoro Line or Hirahara Station on the Shinano Railway; 35 min walk. |
| Hours | Museum open 10:00-15:00 on Sundays |
| Time Required | 20 mins |
| Location | Komoro, Nagano Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 36.30294, 138.47338 |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2025 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Oshiro Tabbi Nikki | |
| Jōkakuzukan | |
