Jikouin Yakata

History

Jikōin-yakata was the site of a fortified residential area of the lords in charge of the Iinawajō complex of fortifications on the mountain above which were built by the Ogasawara clan. Day-to-day affairs were carried out here, the area being also described as the ôte (main gate) of the castle. The castle-village spread below where the peasants who worked the lord's fields lived. For a yakata the Jikōin-yakata was quite heavily fortified with its own mini redoubt directly above.

Visit Notes

Jikōin-yakata is actually a small complex of fortifications at the foot of the castle mount of Iinawajō. A series of now forested terraces are the former site of a fortified manor house. There are the remains of several karabori (dry moats). Slightly above the temple Jikōin, where the site gets it (anachronistic) name, next to the rail road, was a fortified bailey space. Here dorui (earthen ramparts) can still be discerned.

Update (2022):

I felt like I didn’t do a thorough enough job of exploring this site during my first visit. Most of the ruins are in a forest to the east of the temple Jikōin, for which the site is named. There is also a fort site to the west of the temple which I wanted to check out called Jikouin Fort. I took the opportunity to revisit here, and this time checked further up the slope, finding several bands of terracing and a long karabori (dry moat) beneath what I took to be the yakata’s main enclosure.

Gallery

Karabori (dry moat)

Castle Profile
English Name	Jikouin Yakata
Japanese Name	慈光院館
Founder	Ogasawara Clan
Year Founded	Sengoku Period
Castle Type	Fortified Manor
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Artifacts	Karabori, Dorui, &c
Features	trenches
Visitor Information
Access	Shiojiri Station on the Chūō Main Line; 45minute walk
Visitor Information	24/7; Free; Temple
Time Required	20 minutes
Location	Shiojiri, Nagano Prefecture
Coordinates	36° 5' 35.23" N, 137° 58' 27.88" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2021
Contributor	ART
Admin Year Visited	Viewer Contributed
Friends of JCastle
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