30 new profiles for Nagano Castle by ART
30 new profiles for Nagano Castle by ART
2020/05/02
ART has added an amazing 30 new profiles of castles, all in Nagano Prefecture. Nagano Prefecture now has far and away the most profiles on Jcastle. In fact, I had to make some changes to how the prefecture profile pages work to accommodate them all. As of this update, ART has now contributed an incredible 200 profiles, a feat I will be hard pressed to keep up with !
Reading through the histories and visit notes of these new sites will take you on a journey through Nagano history and ART's journeys from abandoned rail roads to Edo Period torture devices.
Arashi Castle / 嵐城
Aruga Castle / 有賀城
Fukuyo Castle / 福与城城
Iijima Jin'ya / 飯島陣屋
Iinawa Castle / 飯縄城
Imori Castle (Suwa) / 諏訪井森城
Inariyama Castle (Sarashina) / 更級稲荷山城
Izuki Jin'ya / 伊豆木陣屋
Kaneko Castle (Suwa) / 諏訪金子城
Kita Majino Castle / 北真志野城
Update: (2023)
I came back to this very minor site, Kita-Majinojō, in the Konami Township of Suwa Municipality, to check I didn’t miss anything. The Chūō Expressway, slayer of many a castle ruin, cuts through the middle of the castle site; the first time I chanced upon this site I found a sign to the west of the motorway explaining about Gongenzawajō, another name for this castle. There’s not much in the west and that area is now some old fields with slate walls criss-crossing. The ruins continue on the east side, however, so I came back to check those out.
The east has a little more to offer, but only a little more than nothing. The site of Kita-Majinojō encompassed the hill where the Tademiya Shrine is. Behind the shrine is a wooded area which may be part of Nishiyama Park. There is a mallet golf course here. The terracing of the hillside is noteworthy here, and may be related to fortifications. There is even a depression which looks somewhat like a moat, and suggestions of dorui (earthen ramparts) along some of the terraces. Unfortunately none of these formations are very distinct, so impressions of castle ruins amount to nothing more than suspicions. It’s possible the terraces were sculpted for agriculture, or even the park, after all. At least it was nice to visit the shrine and park.Kurata Castle (Ina) / 伊那倉田城
Minami Majino Castle / 南真志野城
Minowa Castle (Ina) / 伊那箕輪城
Nakagome Castle (Ina) / 伊那中込城
Oh'ide Castle / 大出城
Oh'idefuru Castle / 大出古城
Ohguma Castle / 大熊城
Osaka Castle (Sarashina) / 更級小坂城
Eventually, after some difficult climbing, the castle ruin came into view. In the shape of the earthworks along the ridge I could see its rear baileys and a large trench. An abrupt "V"-shape in the ridgeline like this was very easy to appreciate from a distance. Beneath here was a small kuruwa which I descended into and then climbed once again from there to reach the castle's rear baileys. They are small enclosures separated by trenches. These trenches are mostly filled up now but can still be made out. Then I came to the large trench mentioned above. It was about 8m deep. Beyond it is the honmaru (main bailey). Beneath the honmaru are a group of minor baileys terracing the mountainside. It is here that the ishigaki (stone-piled ramparts) can be seen in at least six bands, though collapsed and overgrown in many parts. The terracing is made up of about eight tiers, and the lowest tiers are widest. Very small pocket baileys exist below that.
This ruin is overgrown and in places covered in rusted old junk, like old barrels. In the honmaru there is collapsed structure which looks like it has sunk into the earth. There is a concrete pit here. I saw some bear scratches on a nearby tree and wondered if any bear would be unlucky enough to fall in and get trapped. Due to all of the plant growth it was difficult to follow the ishigaki ruins. However, after a vicious climb, finally coming upon the old ruins and finding so many ruins was very exciting, so I mostly enjoyed the adventure. The map in the honmaru of the castle only shows the main area, not showing the neighbouring terraced area I came by or the lower reaches of the castle I exited via.Osaka Castle (Suwa) / 諏訪小坂城
Owa Castle (Suwa) / 諏訪大和城
Shiozaki Castle / 塩崎城
Shiozakishin Castle / 塩崎新城
Takagi Castle (Suwa) / 諏訪高木城
Takashimako Castle / 高島古城
Takei Castle (Suwa) / 諏訪武居城
Tanagi Castle (Ina) / 伊那棚木城
Tanaka Castle (Ina) / 伊那田中城
Terao Castle (Hanishina) / 埴科寺尾城
Todoroki Castle / 等々力城
Uenotaira Castle / 上ノ平城
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