Tsuchiyama Castle (Koka)

History

Tsuchiyama Castle was likely built by the Tsuchiyama Clan in the 1400's. The Tsuchiyama became one of the members of the 53 allied Koka clans. The castle was conquered by Takigawa Kazumasa in 1582 but may have been used by Toyotomi Forces before the Battle of Komaki and Nagakute.

Visit Notes

Tsuchiyama Castle was one of the key Koka castles I did not get to last year. It is a great example of a yakatajiro that starts with a simple square bailey with a large yokobori trench around it. The earthen embankments across the trench add to the defence. The castle also takes advantage of a being on a hill to add some horikiri trenches out rear entrance.

Of particular interest are 2 well defined and preserved square umadashi entrances marked as baileys II and V on the map. No other Koka castles have umadashi and it would have been ahead of its time to have these in Omi in the middle of the Sengoku Period. It seems likely that Hideyoshi forces may have fortified the castle and camped here around the time of the Battle of Komaki and Nagakute.

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Castle Profile
English Name	Tsuchiyama Castle (Koka)
Japanese Name	土山城
Founder	Tsuchiyama Clan
Year Founded	1400s
Castle Type	Hilltop
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Features	trenches
Visitor Information
Access	Kibukawa Sta. (JR Kusatsu Line), 30 min bus, 10 min walk
Visitor Information	mountain, open any time (private property)
Time Required	60 mins
Location	Koka, Shiga Prefecture
Coordinates	34° 56' 23.14" N, 136° 17' 16.87" E
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Collections	Koka Castles
Admin
Added to Jcastle	2023
Contributor	Eric
Admin Year Visited	2023
Admin Visits	March 19, 2023
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