Nakataniyama Fort
Nakataniyama Toride is surprisingly easy to walk right past. If you’re following the trail up the mountainside, it dips into a washed-out area marked by a sign pointing toward the mountaintop—a common sight at castle ruins. But here’s the trick: that dip is actually the first moat of this fortificat
[[||class=img-responsive]]
History
Nakataniyama Fort was one of several mountaintop forts constructed by Shibata Katsuie's general along the Mt. Gyoichi mountain range leading up to the Battle of Shizugatake in 1583. It was commanded by Tokuyama Hideaki and Kanamori Nagachika.
See Battle of Shizugatake for more details.
Field Notes
Nakataniyama Toride is surprisingly easy to walk right past. If you’re following the trail up the mountainside, it dips into a washed-out area marked by a sign pointing toward the mountaintop—a common sight at castle ruins. But here’s the trick: that dip is actually the first moat of this fortification.
If you go left from the sign, you’ll follow a tatebori (vertical trench) running down the mountainside. If you go straight, odds are you’ll miss the castle entirely. The main structure is tucked off to the left beyond the moat, so use this trench and signpost as your cue to veer off-trail. Keep going until you hit an earthen embankment or another trench.
On paper, I didn’t expect much from this site—just a few oddly angled trenches without a recognizable castle layout. But once you’re there, walking the hillside, the logic of the design starts to come into focus. Like Hayashitaniyama Toride, this was likely a southern-facing fortification, intended to guard against a possible approach by Hideyoshi’s forces up the mountain.
To the east, the fort is protected by the aforementioned tatebori. On the west, a gentler ridge climbs up the mountain, making it a natural vulnerability. Defensive embankments were built along this ridge, along with a kuichigai kōuchi (zigzagging entrance) to slow attackers. These two flanks are connected by a yokobori (horizontal trench) and embankment that—crucially—only face outward to the south, again emphasizing their purpose as a barrier against Hideyoshi’s advance.
Observations like this are why we visit castles rather than just reading about them. Standing there in the middle of history makes it come alive. You start to see the logic behind the fortifications—their purpose and the ingenuity of those who built them.
Gallery
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Nakataniyama Fort |
| Japanese Name | 中谷山砦 |
| Founder | Shibata Katsuie |
| Year Founded | 1583 |
| Castle Type | Mountaintop |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Features | |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | JR Yogo Sta., 4.5km to trailhead |
| Hours | Mountain trails, limited signage |
| Time Required | 30 mins |
| Hiking Trail | View on Yamap |
| Location | Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 35.56536, 136.18661 |
|
|
|
| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2025 |
| Contributor | Eric |
| Admin Year Visited | 2025 |
| Admin Visits | April 27, 2025 |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Jokaku Horoki | |
