Ueno Castle (Ise)
Ise-Uenojō is a hirayamajiro (hill and flatland castle) ruin in Kawage Township, Tsu Municipality. Ruins consist of earthworks, including dorui (earthen ramparts), karabori (dry moats), kuruwa (baileys), and even a tenshudai (a platform for a main keep) and dobashi (earthen bridge). The site's main
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History
Ise-Uenojō was originally built by the Wakebe Clan. In early 1568, Oda Nobunaga invaded Ise Province. The Wakebe Clan submitted to his rule, and were obliged to adopt Nobunaga's younger brother, Nobukane, as the heir to their clan headship. In 1570 by Oda Nobukane made Uenojō his temporary base until the completion of nearby Tsujō. Thereafter, Wakebe Mitsuyoshi became castellan of Uenojō again. In 1583, following the battle of Shizuǵatake and the death of their mother, the daughters of Oichi, Oda Nobunaga's little sister, Chacha (Yododono), Hatsu and Gō, spent time at Uenojō.
Field Notes
Ise-Uenojō is a hirayamajiro (hill and flatland castle) ruin in Kawage Township, Tsu Municipality. Ruins consist of earthworks, including dorui (earthen ramparts), karabori (dry moats), kuruwa (baileys), and even a tenshudai (a platform for a main keep) and dobashi (earthen bridge). The site's main bailey area is maintained as a park, and the tenshudai now hosts a large, modern tower used as an observation deck.
The main bailey, as well as containing the tenshudai, is surrounded for the most part by dorui. The castle ruins are quite vast, however, including a secondary bailey in the north (now a parking area) and a tertiary bailey in the south. On the lowermost tier of terracing there is a small, shaded area enclosed by dorui, which contains old cenotaphs (gravestones) that must be centuries old. This is all in the eastern part of the castle.
Uenojō also contains a western area which is also extensive, though now it is almost entirely overgrown, covered in bamboo groves. Nonetheless, exploring this area of the castle proved to be the most exhilarating part of my exploration of this site. The difficult-to-traverse western area contains baileys surrounded by dorui and separated by deep karabori. The outermost bailey on the plateau is connected to another bailey by a dobashi, with dorui heaped up on both sides of a karabori.
The dobashi I found to be blocked by fallen bamboo, and I smashed my way through like Crash Bandicoot. I passed into and out of another karabori, finding a third large bailey, quite amazed at the scale of the fortifications. Whilst exploring a segment of dorui between this new bailey and yet another bailey, I encountered a flying object silently drifting through the bamboo that was very easy to identify by its orange and black striped colouring. I climbed down from the ramparts in the opposite direction from one of the larger specimens of giant hornet I have seen. Luckily I soon found a path out of the bamboo grove.
The outer environs of the castle ruin overlap with two temples, Enkōji and Saishōji, which are also partially surrounded by old earthworks. Enkōji has a beautiful, mossy causeway leading from a cutting into the earth. There are indications of former fortifications around the temple.
Before leaving I ascended the observation tower. Half way up there was a closed door. Apparently this is sometimes open and there is a model of the castle inside.
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| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Ueno Castle (Ise) |
| Japanese Name | 伊勢上野城 |
| Founder | Wakebe Clan; Oda Nobukane |
| Year Founded | Sengoku Period; 1570 |
| Castle Type | Mountaintop |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Artifacts | Dorui, Kuruwa, Dobashi, Tenshudai, &c. |
| Features | trenches |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Ise-Ueno Station on the Ise Railway; 18 minute walk |
| Hours | 24/7 free; mountain |
| Time Required | 80 minutes |
| URL | Castle Website |
| Location | Tsu, Mie Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 34.7915, 136.5435 |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2024 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Kojōdan | |
| Yogo | |
