History
Nagashima Castle is first recorded to have been built by Kujō Michiie as a fortified manor house in 1245. It was refortified in 1482 as a medieval fortress. In 1570 it became a base for the local Ikkō-Ikki chapter. In his war against the League, Oda Nobunaga attacked Nagashimajō in 1571 but was repulsed. However he successfully captured the castle in 1574, thereupon installing Takigawa Ichimasu as castellan. After the Battle of Shizugatake in 1583, Oda Nobukatsu became lord of Nagashimajō, however an earthquake in 1586 levelled the castle, including the tenshu (main keep), and Nobukatsu relocated to Kiyosujō. Fukushima Takaharu took over as castellan. In 1601 he was forced to relocate and the Suganuma Clan took over, administering a small feifdom from the castle. In 1621 they were relocated and Nagashima-han was abolished. The feif was reconstitued in 1649 as a 10,000 koku valued territory for Matsudaira Yasunao. At this time Nagashimajō was little more than offices for adminstration and a residence. In 1702 Mashiyama Masamitsu was given the territory with 20,000 koku and Nagashimajō was expanded into a proper castle, although a tenshu was never erected. In 1872 Nagashimajō was demolished following the abolition of the Han System.
Visit Notes
I stopped by Nagashimajō on the way back to Nagoya from Kuwana, having been to see Kuwanajō. The former castle site is now occupied by a school. In front of the school's main entrance is a large pine tree. This pine tree grows ontop of where a turret of the castle once stood. The castle's Ohtemon gate has been recycled, or parts of it have, as the Sanmon (main gate) of a nearby temple, Renshōji. The area was much more rural than I had expected and contained some old structures.
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Nagashima Castle |
| Japanese Name | 長島城 |
| Founder | Kujō Michiie |
| Year Founded | 1245 |
| Castle Type | Flatland |
| Castle Condition | No main keep but other buildings |
| Designations | Local Historic Site |
| Historical Period | Edo Period |
| Artifacts | Baileys, Relocated Main Gate |
| Features | |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Nagashima Station, Kansai Honsen, 15 minute walk; or, Kintetsu-Nagashima, Kintetsu-Nagoya Line, 14 minute walk |
| Visitor Information | 24/7 free |
| Time Required | 30 mins |
| Location | Kuwana, Mie Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 35° 5' 32.53" N, 136° 41' 54.13" E |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2019 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
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