Sonobe Castle

Sonobejō has three original structures intact, dating to the very end of the Edo Period. They are a gatehouse, guardhouse and turret on site. The Taiko Turret also survives, but has been relocated to the Anraku Temple. A modern "cultural hall" has been built nearby the castle. It is a castle-inspire

History

Sonobe Castle was originally founded in 1619 as Sonobe Jin'ya by the Koide clan. It was significantly expanded in the Bakumatsu period; the castle we see today dates to this time.

Sonobe Castle has the distinction of being the last ever castle built in Japan! It was built in 1868, the same year as the Meiji Restoration, and thus, the year the Edo Shogunate ended. In the Bakamatsu Period (end of the Edo Period), the situation in Kyōto become very dangerous, with Shinsengumi (Shogunal police corps) engaging in street fights with anti-Shogunate revolutionaries. There were several skirmishes around the Imperial palace in Kyōto between Satsuma and Chōshū, at that time rival clans fighting for the influence over the Imperial Court. Chōshū advocated for continuing the Shogunate albeit with more influence from the throne, whereas Satsuma wanted to overthrow the Bakufu completely, re-installing the Emperor as sole sovereign of Japan. These forces, and the forces of the Shogunate, and various other revolutionaries, all fought over the Imperial Capital, making it a very dangerous place to be. Sonobejō was built as a place of refuge for the Emperor should he ever have to flee Kyōto. It was founded by the Koide Clan who had served as the Emperor's guards throughout the Edo Period.

Field Notes

Sonobejō has three original structures intact, dating to the very end of the Edo Period. They are a gatehouse, guardhouse and turret on site. The Taiko Turret also survives, but has been relocated to the Anraku Temple. A modern "cultural hall" has been built nearby the castle. It is a castle-inspired structure but has a glass atrium built into the mock ramparts, so I think it's pretty absurd. Profile by ART, most photos by RonS.

I visited this in the end of 2023. The site has been well documented already but I can add a few new photos and tidbits. At the top of Mt Komugiyama, behind the castle, once stood a large 3 story yagura, but nothing remains today. It was one of the last true castle structures built (1867) in the Edo Period. There is nothing to see there today but it should be a part of exploring the castle. If you look around the park and museum there are many big boulders and some stonework, but as far as I can tell they are not related to the castle. There is however a bit of stonework across the street that was the foundation of a samurai residence (karo yashiki). It seems there is some original stonework over by the courthouse too but I missed that. The large "moat" looking area with the pool in front of the musuem is not the actual size nor depth of the original moat but the pool actually lines up along where the water moat once was! The fake castle keep looking building is a local history museum. The structure is often ridiculed since Sonobe Castle had no such main keep, but the inside is a very nice museum. I do not get the impression they are trying to promote the museum building as a "castle" or mock castle, it's just the design. Inside the museum, there is a lot of castle related information, not just Sonobe Castle, but covering the wider region and some of the mountain castles I previously posted too. It was also a great place to spend some time and wait out the rain. -JCastle

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Gallery

Tatsumi Yagura and Yaguramon
Tatsumi Yagura and Yaguramon
Tatsumi Yagura, Guardhouse, and Yaguramon Gate
Yaguramon Gate and Guardhouse
Tatsumi Yagura, Guardhouse, and Yaguramon Gate
Tatsumi Yagura
Tatsumi Yagura
Tatsumi Yagura and Yaguran Gate
Tatsumi Yagura and Yaguran Gate
Wall with loophole
Taiko Yagura
Taiko Yagura
Site of the original Three Level Yagura
part of the original moat
site of inner moat, walls not original
Pool lines up with original moat!
Karo Yashiki stone walls
This nearby school has been Mogified!
A marker for "Sonobe Castle" on google actually points here!
Jarring conconction of glass and fake ishigaki

Castle Profile
English Name	Sonobe Castle
Japanese Name	園部城
Founder	Koide Yoshichika
Year Founded	1619; 1868
Castle Type	Hilltop
Castle Condition	No main keep but other buildings
Designations	Prefectural Historic Site
Historical Period	Edo Period
Main Keep Structure	3 levels, 4 storeys
Features	gates, turrets, trenches, stone walls, walls
Visitor Information
Access	Sonobe Station on the San'in Main Line; 15 minute walk
Hours	24/7 free; school
Time Required	40 mins
Location	Nantan, Kyoto
Coordinates	35.10467, 135.47014
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2018
Contributor	ART
Admin Year Visited	Viewer Contributed, 2024
Admin Visits	November 12, 2023
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Woodland Kyoto

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