Hokkyu Castle
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History
Hokkyūjō was built in 1230 by Yamashita Yoshimichi; it is one of the oldest medieval fortified sites in the interior of Nukata County. The Yamashita Clan served as retainers of the reigning Ashikaga in the 13th century. In 1461, Yamashita Shigehisa, unable to prevent the rise of the Matsudaira Clan, was defeated by Matsudaira Nobumitsu.
Visit Notes
Hokkyūjō is a yamajiro (mountaintop castle) site on a modest hill in Hokkyū Township. Ruins include earthworks such as trenches and dorui (earthen ramparts). There is a path leading from Shimoyama Elementary School which has been identified as a trench. The main castle ruins are on the hill to the left. I found a very overgrown path through bamboo up to it. There is a flattened area which looks to be a bailey. In the east and toward the south the earth is banked up with a ditch below on the inside of the bailey. Is this an old parapet from the fort? Below the hillside has been terraced in places. There is definitely an impression of the remnants of fortifications here, though the features aren't clear, and may have deteriorated or been modified by local farmers over time.
There is a stele to mark the castle site by the school. Further up the hill a mock watchtower has been erected, perhaps as a place to view birds from. An aging structure so close to a primary school should probably be pulled down, but it stands for now. I climbed until reaching a shambolic hut. There appears to be no trace of fortifications apart from the mock watchtower on the upper hill, and so the path at the base of the upper hill is likely the rear trench and terminus of the original fort.
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Hokkyu Castle |
| Japanese Name | 保久城 |
| Founder | Yamashita Yoshimichi |
| Year Founded | 1230 |
| Castle Type | Mountaintop |
| Castle Condition | No main keep but other buildings |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Features | turrets |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | I cycled from downtown Okazaki |
| Visitor Information | 24/7 free; mountain |
| Time Required | 30 minutes |
| Location | Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 35° 0' 28.51" N, 137° 18' 3.02" E |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2024 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Jōkaku Shashin Kiroku | |
| Umoreta Kojō | |
| Aichi Shiro | |
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