Shiogai Castle

There are a couple trails into the castle site. I had a little trouble finding the one I was looking for that starts near the grave or memorial marker for the defeat by Akechi Mitsuhide's forces. I found the marker on the other side of a fence but had to go back and forth a bit to find the entrance

History

The history of the site is not well known. It is commonly claimed that it was built by the local landholders the Shiogai who were allied with the Hatano and nearby Uno at Higashi Goma Castle in their battle against Akechi Mitsuhide. This history is based on the late Edo-period chronicle Tanba-shi (丹波志)—a source often considered unreliable— which claims the two castles were separate strongholds built by different Hatano-aligned local lords cooperating against Akechi Mitsuhide. A more recent interpretation (Takahashi 2020) argues instead that this was the primary castle, with Shiogai Castle functioning as a satellite fortification, offering better views of the valley obscured by the horseshoe-shaped terrain. The latter theory appears more convincing.

Shiogai Castle also has a demaru called Kaji Yashiki. It was likely not a residence (yashiki) but a satellite bailey to improve visibility to the north and east.

Field Notes

There are a couple trails into the castle site. I had a little trouble finding the one I was looking for that starts near the grave or memorial marker for the defeat by Akechi Mitsuhide's forces. I found the marker on the other side of a fence but had to go back and forth a bit to find the entrance through the fence. I ended up crawling under a loose area only to find an actual gate just a few meters away! From this grave marker the trail is very clear with several signs pointing the way. From here you can easily hike around the horseshoe shaped mountain to Higashi Goma Castle. You can also refer to my Yamap trail for more details of this course including both these castles Noge Yakata and the Goma Nakamura Castle.

I got interested in this site from the Mori-no-Kyoto booth at the Osaka Castle Festival (2024). The site is well maintained by local volunteers who also do occasional tours of these sites.

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Castle Profile
English Name	Shiogai Castle
Japanese Name	塩貝城
Alternate Names	Kamigoma-jo; Goma-jo; Ohto-jo; Goma Ohta-jo
Founder	Shiogai Clan
Year Founded	Muromachi Period
Castle Type	Mountaintop
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Designations	Local Historic Site
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Features	trenches
Visitor Information
Access	Goma Sta. (San'in Main Line); 30 min walk to trail head
Hours	mountain trails, open any time
Time Required	60 mins (trial head through the castle ruins)
Hiking Trail	View on Yamap
Location	Nantan, Kyoto
Coordinates	35.18797, 135.47365
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2025
Contributor	Eric
Admin Year Visited	2024
Admin Visits	October 14, 2024
Friends of JCastle
Shirobito
Jokaku Horoki
Yamajiro Sanka

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