Sakamoto Castle

History

After annihilating the warrior monks of Hiezan in 1571, Oda Nobunaga ordered Akechi Mitsuhide to construct a castle at Sakamoto. Sakamoto Castle was a lakeside castle of strategic importance as it guarded the Western Omi Road, the road to the mountain pass into Kyoto from Omi (present day Shiga Prefecture), and it was also directly linked to Azuchi Castle by boats across Lake Biwa. It was also built to monitor the activities of the Enryakuji monks and to guard the western shores of southern Lake Biwa. Sakamoto Castle replaced nearby Usayama Castle, whose garrison was defeated in battle by the combined forces of Asai and Asakura in 1570. In 1586, four years after the death of Akechi Mitsuhide, this castle was dismantled and replaced by Otsu Castle as the local castle for controlling the area of southern Lake Biwa around Sakamoto and Otsu.

Visit Notes

I would rate this castle ruin as a half-star site as there isn’t very much left to see. Only a few remnants of stone walls near the shores of Lake Biwa and a statue of Akechi Mitsuhide can be found at a park which is located at one of its former outer baileys. The park is next to Route 161 and about 200 metres from a MacDonalds restaurant. Also, there is a “Sakamoto Castle Ruin” stone monument placed about two hundred metres from the park (follow the canal from the park.) Access is either from Keihan Matsunobanba Station or JR Hiezansakamoto Station. It is around a 20 minute walk from either one of these stations. While Sakamoto Castle Ruin isn’t really worth a visit by itself, but when it is combined with a visit to see the Anou-shu Zumi stone walls in Sakamoto and a walk around Mt. Hie, it makes for a good day trip from Kyoto. If you ever wondered where Nobunaga and Hideyoshi’s castle builders came from, go to Sakamoto and see these stonemasons’ legacy. There are lots of ishigaki here and more than at many castle ruins in Japan. They are mainly located between Keihan Sakamoto Station and the cable car station up to Mt. Hie.

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Gallery

original honmaru stone wall ruins
Akechi Mitsuhide statue
Sakamoto Castle Park - not original stone walls
Sakamoto Castle Park
Sakamoto Castle Park
Ryosha Shrine, stone walls thought to be the outer moat
Relocated Gate from Castle (Saikyouji General Gate)
Relocated Omotemon Gate 聖衆来迎寺表門（坂本城移築城門）

Castle Profile
English Name	Sakamoto Castle
Japanese Name	坂本城
Founder	Akechi Mitsuhide
Year Founded	1571
Castle Type	Flatland
Castle Condition	No main keep but other buildings
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Features	stone walls
Visitor Information
Access	Hiezansakamoto Sta (JR Kosei Line) or Keihan Matsunobanba Sta.; 20 min walk
Visitor Information	free open park
Time Required	60 mins
Website	http://www.otsu.or.jp/sengoku/sakamoto.html
Location	Otsu, Shiga Prefecture
Coordinates	35° 3' 35.75" N, 135° 52' 37.70" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2012
Admin Year Visited	Viewer Contributed