Ninahara Fort
Is a yamajiro (mountaintop fort) ruin in Futamata Township in the Tenryū Ward of Hamamatsu Municipality. Few ruins remain, mostly earthworks, and a bailey space with a slight terrace is apparent. However, this site is generally overgrown and now a bamboo grove. I wondered if the visible bailey wasn'
History
Ninahara-toride was built in 1575 by Tokugawa Ieyasu as part of a ring of fortifications used to lay siege to Futamatajō. Tobayamajō was the main fort during the siege, located to the south of Futamatajō, and Ninahara-toride was situated to the north. More forts were located east and west: Bishamondō-toride to the east and Wadaǵashima-toride to the west over the Tenryū River.
The garrison commander of Ninahara-toride was Ôkubo Tadasuke. Ninahara-toride shared the same plateau as Futamatajō, and was the most exposed of the forts, with its back to Takeda territory. The siege lasted six months, and at one point a nō performance was held at Ninahara-toride to boost the morale of the garrison.
After surrendering Futamatajō, Yoda Nobushige and his garrison withdrew, going north past Ninahara-toride in a solemn, dignified procession. Ninahara Fort was likely abandoned following the successful siege.
Field Notes
Is a yamajiro (mountaintop fort) ruin in Futamata Township in the Tenryū Ward of Hamamatsu Municipality. Few ruins remain, mostly earthworks, and a bailey space with a slight terrace is apparent. However, this site is generally overgrown and now a bamboo grove. I wondered if the visible bailey wasn't a smaller part of the fort originally, since above is a plateau, presumably Ninahara, which was used for agriculture in subsequent times. The fort's footprint was probably once larger.
One can reach Ninahara-toride by climbing up from the temple, Seiryūji. Seiryūji was established in 1581 by Tokugawa Ieyasu as a place to commemorate Matsudaira Nobuyasu, his son who was seppuku-executed at the urging to Oda Nobunaga. Behind the temple's main hall on the hillside is Matsudaira Nobuyasu's mausoleum. The temple's necropolis is terraced with stone walls, but these date to only after 1581.
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Ninahara Fort |
| Japanese Name | 蜷原砦 |
| Founder | Tokugawa Ieyasu |
| Year Founded | 1575 |
| Castle Type | Mountaintop |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Features | |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Futamatahonmachi Station on the Tenryū-Hamanako Railway; 10 min walk to Seiryūji. |
| Hours | 24/7 free; temple |
| Time Required | 20 mins |
| Location | Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 34.86563, 137.81244 |
|
|
|
| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2025 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Jōkaku Hōrōki | |
| Shiseki Tanbōki | |
| Shiseki no Yawa | |
