Yoshiike Awaji Yashiki
.JPG)
History
This was the site of a fortified residence of Yoshiike Awaji. He fled after Takeda Shingen invaded the valley, and hid out with Uesugi Kenshin. He was restored to power by the Uesugi Clan following the collapse of the Takeda Clan in 1582.
For more information see my profile on Chikuma-Yamazaki-toride (Chikuma Yamazaki Fort).
Visit Notes
The site of the Yoshiike Clan residence was made up of a series of five terraces between two shallow ridges beneath the castle mount of the Yamazaki Fort. The remains of old wells can be found. On the northerly ridge is a small prayer hall. The path to the mountaintop fort goes by it.
Yogo-sensei describes this site as a Yato-shiki jōkan (谷戸式城館). "Yato" describes a type of small valley ecosystem which proliferates amidst the hilly terrain of Japan, particularly in the east. These small valleys, carved over many millenia with the erosion of rain water, were once terraced and used as a convenient place to farm rice. I've trundled into many such landforms. When forests grow on the cradling ridges these areas become very shady and they are prone to waterlogging, in their natural states forming swampy areas where large amphibians dwell. With the end of the kokudaka system and the expansion of other more modern agricultural methods, the use of yato for growing rice declined. The yato here was used as a fortified residential space in the Sengoku period. It now has a small hamlet built within its snug confines, but it seemed to me that nearly every home in the micro-valley was abandoned.
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Yoshiike Awaji Yashiki |
| Japanese Name | 吉池淡路屋敷 |
| Alternate Names | Yoshiikeawaji-yakata |
| Founder | Yoshiike Awaji |
| Year Founded | 16th century |
| Castle Type | Fortified Manor |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Features | |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Kamuriki Station on the Shinonoi Line; 20 minute walk |
| Visitor Information | Private Property |
| Time Required | 10 minutes |
| Location | Chikuhoku, Nagano Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 36° 27' 21.56" N, 138° 3' 51.77" E |
|
|
|
| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2022 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Yogo | |
.JPG){kind=link}
.JPG){kind=link}
.JPG){kind=link}
Enable comment auto-refresher