Hachiman'yama Castle (Tanba)
History
Tanba-Hachiman’yamajō was built in 1578 by Akechi Mitsuhide for his invasion of Tanba. The castle came under attack from forces based at nearby Kuroi Castle opposed to Oda Nobunaga’s hegemony (at that time Akechi Mitsuhide was still ostensibly loyal to the Oda). Akechi Mitsuhide was victorious, however, defeating Kuroijō after his second crack at it, and, Hachiman’yamajō having served its purpose, the castle was thereafter abandoned in 1579. Around 1584 Toyotomi Hideyoshi founded the Kaibara Hachiman Shrine on the site of the fort which stands today.
Visit Notes
Hachiman'yamajō was an incidental castle visit for me. The site, which some intrepid castle explorers have identified possible earthworks of, is now a shrine. We came here to see the historic pagoda which sits above the shrine's honden. That is not a configuration one often sees, especially not at shrines, and so this was an impressive sight. The pagoda is decorated with water fowl, with a different bird shown on each face: cranes, geese, ducks and herons. There is some nice ishigaki, but this dates to after the castle, of course, though maybe back to when the shrine was a temple... At the foot of the castle-shrine-temple-mount is a large tree which has grown horizontally over a river like a bridge, a kind of natural wonder.
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Tanba Hachiman'yama Castle |
| Japanese Name | 丹波八幡山城 |
| Founder | Akechi Mitsuhide |
| Year Founded | 1578 |
| Castle Type | Mountaintop |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Artifacts | Kuruwa, Hori, Dorui |
| Features | trenches |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Kaibara Station on the Fukuchiyama Line; 6 minute walk to shrine |
| Visitor Information | Free; 24/7; Shrine |
| Time Required | 30 minutes |
| Location | Tanba, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 35° 7' 49.80" N, 135° 4' 46.20" E |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2021 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Hōrōki | |
| O’Shiro no Tabi Nikki | |
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