Namazue Castle
History
Namazuejō was a fairly large Sengoku Period clifftop castle (read: hirayamajiro) located in Ōmi Province. It was the main base of the Namazue Clan. The Namazue were vassals of the Rokkaku, a hegemonic clan based in the province, from the Muromachi Period. In 1568 Rokkaku Yoshikata clashed with Oda Nobunaga at Kannonjijō and was defeated. But he escaped from Kannonjijō and fled to Namazuejō, which at the time was under Lord Namazue Sadakage and his son, Namazue Sadaharu. Namazuejō repelled an attack by Oda's forces with aid from nearby Hyakusaijijō. Hyakusaijijō was subsequently captured by Oda, however, who proceeded to build forts around Namazuejō, such as Nakatojō and Imotojō. Nonetheless, Namazuejō held out against repeated attacks. It was, however, finally defeated in the autumn of 1573 after a renewed invasion by Shibata Katsuie. Their castle destroyed, the Namazue fled to various parts of Japan to serve different lords. Namazue Sadaharu went on to serve the Toyotomi at Ôsaka.
Visit Notes
Namazuejō, "Catfish Bay Castle", probably never possessed access to water, but the name is nice. Here I can proudly proclaim the confirmed existence of dorui (earthen ramparts) and of a detailed explanation board about the castle. I had previously just been to Nakatojō, one of the small forts used to pressure and attack Namazuejō by Oda Nobunaga and Shibata Katsuie, and other such forts, finding nothing, so the find of actual remains at Namazuejō was satisfying. The site is now homes, a temple, a playground and a municipal hall. Though Namazuejō once possessed a large footprint, the site was subsequently developed over as a residential area.
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Namazue Castle |
| Japanese Name | 鯰江城 |
| Founder | Namazue Clan |
| Year Founded | Sengoku Period |
| Castle Type | Hilltop |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Artifacts | Dorui |
| Features | |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Yōkaichi Station on the Ōmi Railway Main Line; 60 minute walk |
| Visitor Information | Free; 24/7; Park |
| Time Required | 20 minutes |
| Location | Higashi-Oumi, Shiga Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 35° 6' 34.42" N, 136° 14' 36.42" E |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2021 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Hōrōki | |
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