Shizuhara South Castle

The name “Shizuhara Castle” is commonly used to refer to two distinct sites on this mountain: what I call Shizuhara North Castle (at the peak) and Shizuhara South Castle (on a lower rise to the south). It is not a very well known nor well studied castle which is unfortunate because the ruins are abs

History

Shizuhara South Castle was likely constructed by Akechi Mitsuhide during his 1573 campaign against Yamamoto Sanehisa, who had holed up in the Shizuhara North Castle. Records from the time indicate significant construction activity along this southern ridge, but interpretations vary. Sources suggest:

Mitsuhide built it specifically to attack the North Castle;
He repurposed a pre-existing satellite fortification and modified it for assault;
It was constructed after the victory to monitor the Tsuruga Kaidō–Kurama Kaidō corridor, a critical route for movement around northern Kyoto

All three theories are plausible, but given the extensive stonework, and a possible garden and pond identified, it seems unlikely this was merely a temporary field encampment (陣城). Even if it originated as an attack base, the amount of effort in its construction suggests it was later repurposed or expanded into a permanent outpost, possibly to oversee the aforementioned road network to prevent smuggling or movement of troops around northern Kyoto.

Field Notes

The name “Shizuhara Castle” is commonly used to refer to two distinct sites on this mountain: what I call Shizuhara North Castle (at the peak) and Shizuhara South Castle (on a lower rise to the south). It is not a very well known nor well studied castle which is unfortunate because the ruins are absolutely worth visiting. This is a situation where trekking out to these sites, observing the land and castle structures with your own eyes and making your own theories is critical. Most references lump them together as one complex, but I believe this obscures their distinct histories and layouts. The Kyoto Castle Survey treats them as the “North Bailey Grouping” and “South Bailey Grouping” within a single entry. However, Jōkaku Hōrōki clearly distinguishes the two, and Google Maps labels the north site as Shirotaniyama Shizuhara Castle. Based on my observations, I think it is appropriate to treat them as separate castles.

Shizuhara North Castle is located at the mountain summit and consists of terraced baileys along three ridgelines. There is minimal stonework: a possible gate foundation in the main bailey and one side bailey with stones that may have served as a retaining wall rather than fortifications. In contrast, the South Castle, which lies farther away than one might expect from maps, features extensive stonework, tatebori (vertical moats), and a prominent horikiri trench isolating it from the upper ridge — evidence of a later, more advanced fortification.

To reach the South Castle directly, you can climb the ridge from the base near Shizuhara village, but there is no marked trail. Even descending this way requires some navigation, and the path can be difficult to identify. If you’re already visiting the North Castle anyway, I would recommend to descend the eastern ridge to reach the South Castle.

Be advised: while the trail up to the North Castle is relatively clean and manageable, the descent toward the South Castle is overgrown, poorly marked, and scattered with fallen trees. You’ll need to scramble over or around these obstacles and watch the trees for ribbons indicating the path. That said, the South Castle’s ruins — with stone walls, vertical moats (tatebori), and a massive horikiri trench — make the effort worthwhile and it is much more interesting than the North Castle. You can also refer to my Yamap Trail log for navigation support.

See Shizuhara North Castle for more details.

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Gallery

North Castle left peak, South Castle right peak

Castle Profile
English Name	Shizuhara South Castle
Japanese Name	静原城（南城）
Founder	Miyoshi Nagayoshi
Year Founded	1555
Castle Type	Mountaintop
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Features	trenches
Visitor Information
Access	Ichihara Station (Eiden Line), bus to Shizuhara
Hours	Mountain trails, open any time
Time Required	120 mins
Hiking Trail	View on Yamap
Location	Kyoto, Kyoto
Coordinates	35.11161, 135.79439
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2025
Contributor	Eric
Admin Year Visited	2025
Admin Visits	January 5, 2025
Friends of JCastle
Kojodan
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3.00

(one vote)

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