Shimofuru Castle
Shimofurujō is a small castle ruin in Oyama Township, Suntō County, Shizuoka Prefecture. The site features dorui (earthen ramparts) and is now a shrine. There are some stone walls, but these were built for the shrine. When I visited there was a heady scent of kinmokusei (金木犀), or, in English, fragra
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History
It is not known when Shimofurujō was constructed, but at the time of its abandonment in 1590, a member of the Kuroishi Clan, vassals of the Hōjō, was the castellan. Of course, the Hōjō were defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in that year. Although most of the ruins can be found around the shrine today, the castle's footprint is thought to have extended into what is now rice paddies to the north on a tongue-shaped plataeu between the confluence of two rivers. Place names (koaza) in the surrounding hamlet are very suggestive of a castle site, and include areas such as Kajiyashiki ('blacksmith'), Baba ('stables'), Koyashiki ('old residence'), and Shiroshita / Jōka ('beneath the castle').
Field Notes
Shimofurujō is a small castle ruin in Oyama Township, Suntō County, Shizuoka Prefecture. The site features dorui (earthen ramparts) and is now a shrine. There are some stone walls, but these were built for the shrine. When I visited there was a heady scent of kinmokusei (金木犀), or, in English, fragrant olive (osmanthus fragrans), aptly named, beautiful with orange cluster blossoms.
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| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Shimofuru Castle |
| Japanese Name | 下古城 |
| Alternate Names | Shitafurujō / Shimofurushiro |
| Founder | Kuroishi Clan |
| Year Founded | Before 1590 |
| Castle Type | Flatland |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Artifacts | Dorui |
| Features | |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Ashigara Station on the Gotemba Line; 30 minute walk |
| Hours | 24/7 free; shrine |
| Time Required | 20 minutes |
| Location | Oyama, Shizuoka Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 35.33435, 138.96901 |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2023 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Jōkaku Hōrōki | |
| Oshiro Tabi Nikki | |
| Jōkakuzukan | |
| Kojō Seisuiki | |
