Tedori Castle

Tedori Castle is a fairly easy mountaintop castle to visit and enjoy as a mountaintop castle without the worry about steep climbs, good hiking wear etc. It also offers a lot for the more adventurous castle explorers who want to search out the stone wall remains and Horikiri trenches too. The trailhe

History

The Tamaki moved into this territory from Yamashiro during the Nanbokucho Period (1300's) establishing castles at (Kii) Tsuruga Castle and Tedori Castle from which they established their territory abolishing the Kawakami who ruled it from (Kii) Yamazaki Castle.

The Tamaki ruled for around 200 years splitting the Hidaka River basin with the Yukawa at (Kii) Kameyama Castle. In 1585, in response to Hideyoshi's invasion of Kishu, Naoharu Yukawa, the lord of Kameyama Castle, proposed that they join forces to oppose Hideyoshi, but the Tamaki refused. They set fire to the Yukawa's lands and the Yukawa attacked Tedori Castle in response. In the face of impending invasion but Hideyoshi, the Yukawa took Tedori Castle. When attacked by Hideyoshi's forces under Sengkou Hidehisa the Yukawa set fire to the castle and escaped. The Tamaki remained as minor allies of Hideyoshi and retained Tedori Castle. The Tamaki sided with the Western Forces at the Battle of Sekigahara and were exiled following their loss. The castle was abandoned at this time.

Field Notes

Tedori Castle is a fairly easy mountaintop castle to visit and enjoy as a mountaintop castle without the worry about steep climbs, good hiking wear etc. It also offers a lot for the more adventurous castle explorers who want to search out the stone wall remains and Horikiri trenches too. The trailhead for the castle is about a 40 min walk from the station. From here you can follow a paved road right to the East Bailey just off the main Bailey. As you are walking along this road most of the ridgeline to your upper left is part of the castle. The main compounds around the center of the castle are well maintained but it takes a little more work to investigate the minor baileys around here to find various bits of remaining stonework. The main baileys offer some great views but the highlight of this castle is probably several large horikiri trenches. Another feature I found quite interesting is a series of three obikuruwa type baileys built in steps along the Eastern Bailey. They are easy to miss and not well identified on most of the maps you find online.

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Gallery

Honmaru Bailey
Tatebori
Atop the embankment
Obikuruwa in steps
Stepped obikuruwa form above
Tatebori
West Bailey Noroshidai
Tatebori

Castle Profile
English Name	Tedori Castle
Japanese Name	手取城
Founder	Tamaki clan
Year Founded	1300's
Castle Type	Mountaintop
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Designations	Top 100 Mountaintop Castles, Local Historic Site
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Features	trenches, stone walls
Visitor Information
Access	Wasa Sta. (Kisei Line); 40 min walk to trailhead
Hours	park, open any time
Time Required	120 mins
URL	Castle Website
Location	Hidakagawa, Wakayama Prefecture
Coordinates	33.90261, 135.22921
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2023
Contributor	Eric
Admin Year Visited	2023
Admin Visits	February 5, 2023
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