Kashiwara Castle

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History

According to the Iranki, Kashiwarajō was the last battle of Tenshō Iga no Ran. Iga no Mono, including members of the Momochi family, defended the fort. Oda’s forces swept through Iga, attacking the populace as an act of vengeance. Oda ordered Tsutsui Junkei, lord of neighbouring Yamato Province who was leading the invasion in the southwest, to be ruthless, and decreed that for every day the Iga no Mono resisted, the heads of 300-500 locals should be collected. Two weeks following the initial invasion of Iga during this second phase of the war beginning September 30th 1581, the Iga no Mono surrendered and gave up Kashiwarajō to Tsutsui Junkei. At that time the Yamato Noh actor Ōkura Goroji acted as an intermediary in the negotiations.

Oda Nobunaga’s forces had numbered 42,000, more than four times larger than the forces Oda Nobukatsu had commanded in the first half of the war, whilst the defending forces had only 10,000 spread throughout the entire province. Iga’s remoteness and mountainous terrain with few passages meant that it was relatively easy to defend with small forces, but even so, they were eventually overwhelmed by vastly superior numbers. Tsutsui’s cousin and adopted son, Tsutsui Sadatsugu, would go on to rule Iga from Iga-Uenojō after the Tsutsui Clan was ordered out of Yamato and replaced by Toyotomi Hidenaga.


Visit Notes

The above description is compiled in part from information presented in 49 True Stories of the Iga Ninja, by Ikeda Hiroshi, a researcher on the topic of ninjutsu who was kind enough to show me around Iga. I watched him film a documentary at the castle ruin - though I'll admit to wondering off at one point to explore the ruins.

The site is about 500m from Akameguchi on the Osaka-Kintetsu Line. Please see google maps. You will have to take a narrow footpath to reach this site, it starts between two fields near Katte Shrine and proceeds up the hill. Earth works remain. The area is now forested but kept neat. Some earthen mounds seem to contain chunks of stone, but this was principally a fort of wooden palings surrounding an encampment.

Profile and photos contributed by ART


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Gallery
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Castle Profile
English Name Kashiwara Castle
Japanese Name 柏原城
Alternate Names 滝野城
Founder
Year Founded
Castle Type Hilltop
Castle Condition Ruins only
Historical Period Pre Edo Period
Main Keep Structure Earthworks
Features bridges, trenches
Visitor Information
Access About 500m from Akameguchi on the Osaka-Kintetsu Line.
Visitor Information Free, 24/7
Time Required 30 minutes
Website http://www.city.nabari.lg.jp/ct/other000026300/139000850-9-4-2-3.pdf
Location Akame, Mie Prefecture
Coordinates 34° 35' 40.42" N, 136° 5' 2.18" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle 2016
Contributor ART
Admin Year Visited Viewer Contributed
Friends of JCastle
Kojōdan


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ARTShogun

88 months ago
Score 1++
I went to Kashiwara Castle ruins as part of my adventure to Iga, birthplace of ninja, with ninjutsu scholar Ikeda Hiroshi. Ikeda-sensei was kind enough to accommodate my visit and give me a tour of Iga-Uenojō and the Ninja-yashiki (house) on site. That day however he also had to film an interview for an advertisement of Nabari, south of Iga City, and so I went along with him to Kashiwarajō-ato (ruins) where they filmed a documentary. Ikeda-sensei discussed the history of the site and the role played by ninja.