Ohzuku Castle
Ôzukujō is a yamajiro (mountaintop castle) ruin in the Odani area of Nagahama Municipality. This site is better known in conjunction with Odanijō, as it is part of the network of fortifications which surrounded and protected the valley where the Azai Clan had their base. Ôzukujō may be considered a
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History
Ôzukujō was built as part of a network of fortifications defending the valley where the Azai Clan had their residence. However, one theory is that Ôzukujō was the original centre of this fortification network when it was first built in 1516 by Azai Sukemasa, but that Odanijō became the main castle when the fortifications were expanded from 1560 under Azai Nagamasa, or possibly as late as when the Asakura came and refortified these positions, following the Azai defeat at Anegawa, in 1570 to 1572. Following the sieges of Hikidajō and Ichijōdanijō in 1573, the Asakura were defeated, and the Azai were left alone and surrounded.
Ôzukujō was attacked directly during the siege of Odani Castle when a garrison commander called Asami, who was in charge of guarding the Yakeo-toride on the ridge to the northwest of Ôzukujō, led Oda Nobunaga's forces to Ôzukujō via this 'rear entrance'. Once Oda forces were able to gain control of Ôzukujō they found themselves in a superlative position, looking down on the remaining defenders in Odanijō. At that point the long awaited fall of Odani was inevitable. Azai Nagamasa fell on his sword as the enemy poured into Odanijō.
Field Notes
Ôzukujō is a yamajiro (mountaintop castle) ruin in the Odani area of Nagahama Municipality. This site is better known in conjunction with Odanijō, as it is part of the network of fortifications which surrounded and protected the valley where the Azai Clan had their base. Ôzukujō may be considered a satellite fortification of Odanijō, though it sits on the peak of Mt Odani above the main fortifications of Odanijō, and is the highest situated of all the forts in the network.
Ôzukujō's ruins feature primarily earthworks with some residual masonry. Features include dorui (earthen ramparts), ishigaki (stone walls), horikiri (trenches bisecting ridges), karabori (dry moats) and kuruwa (baileys). There is a lower area of the castle with impressive tatebori (climbing trenches going up the hillside) too.
The layout of the fort is concentric, with a dorui-ensconced main bailey at the top surrounded by tiers of terraced baileys below. In the west is a wide karabori. An illustration on a signboard about the ruins indicates that this was once full of abbattis. Beyond this is a double horikiri system. This part of the ruins is ill-frequented, and there is no path, though the ridge beyond leads to a minor fort site called Yakeo-toride which I didn't visit.
If one follows the trail down to the outlying ridge forts of Fukuju-toride and Yamazaki-toride, one will pass through a lower terraced bailey of Ôzukujō with dorui and remnant ishigaki on the inside of the ramparts. A pair of large tatebori can be found by striking off to the right here. This area does not seem to be depicted on the aforementioned on-site illustration of the fort.
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| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Ohzuku Castle |
| Japanese Name | 大嶽城 |
| Founder | Azai Sukemasa |
| Year Founded | 1516 |
| Castle Type | Mountaintop |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Designations | National Historic Site |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Artifacts | Dorui, Tatebori, Kuruwa, &c. |
| Features | trenches |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Climb from the eastern ridge via Odanijō; or via the western ridge from Fukuju-toride |
| Hours | 24/7 free; mountain |
| Time Required | 60 minutes |
| Location | Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 35.4658, 136.2736 |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2024 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Jōkaku Hōrōki | |
| Jōshi Meguri Bibōroku | |
| Jōkakuzukan | |
