Karasuyama Castle

History

The castle was founded by Nasu Sukeshige in 1418. The Satake clan tried to take the castle several times, reaching as far as the base of the mountain but they were turned back at each occasion. Karasuyama Castle was the home castle of the Nasu Clan until 1590. In 1590, Nasu Sukeharu upset Hideyoshi by not sending troops to the Siege of Odawara, so Hideyoshi confiscated the lands and replaced the Nasu with Oda Nobukatsu, the second son of Nobunaga. Oda Nobukatsu was there for only two months until he was reassigned to Dewa (Akita Pref.) and then Iyo (Ehime Pref). Narita Ujinaga (lord of Oshi Castle) replaced Oda at Karasuyama. From 1622 due to a dispute about the succession the lands were again confiscated and a succession of lords came through Karasuyama Castle including the Matsushita, Hori, and Itakura. In 1681, Nasu Sukemitsu was awarded with the old family holdings of Karasuyama and returned to Karasuyama Castle. This did not last long however, as yet another family dispute caused the lands to be confiscated in 1687. Following this, the Nagai, Inagaki, and Okubo ruled the castle until it was abandoned in 1869. The buildings were demolished in 1872.

Visit Notes

One of the interesting aspects of this castle is that it is obviously a very Kanto like mountaintop castle, yet it lasted all through the Edo Period rather than being relocated to a better or more convenient location. It also had some extensive stone walls which are fairly rare for the Kanto area, especially in a mountaintop castle.

A pdf version of the brochure is available on the <a href="http://www.city.nasukarasuyama.lg.jp/9,1282,38.html">Karasuyama Castle</a> website. You can also get a copy of the brochure at the town library located just a couple minutes walk from the castle trail entrance along the same road. The small local museum that is noted in some materials is now condemned and no longer open.

関東の山城らしい城跡ですが、江戸時代末期までほぼそのまま残ったのは珍しいと思います。山の麓や別の場所に移っていてもおかしくないでしょう。またここまで石垣が充実していたのも珍しいでしょう。パンフレットのpdfを<a href="http://www.city.nasukarasuyama.lg.jp/9,1282,38.html">烏山城のウエブサイト</a>でダウンロードできます。また、登山口近くの図書館でも印刷版がもらえます。近くの風土博物館は現在閉鎖中です。

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Gallery

Tokiwa Bailey stone walls
Entrance to the hiking trail.
Kurumabashi
Stone walls of the Tokiwa Bailey
Tokiwa Bailey stone walls
Fukinukimon Gate
Honmaru on the left
Honmaru horikiri
Sakuramon Gate Ruins
North Bailey
Trail to the Nakajo
Large trench between the Nakajo and Kohonmaru baileys
Kohonmaru Bailey
Embankment along the edge of the Kohonmaru.
Moat between the Honmaru and Kohonmaru
Moat between the Honmaru and Kohonmaru
Honmaru Stone walls near the Seimon Gate
Honmaru stone walls
Honmaru Stone walls near the Seimon Gate
Stone walls near the Seimon Gate
Stone walls of the Seimon Gate
Large trench between between the Kohonmaru and the Nishijjo baileys
Large trench near the Honmaru
Large dry moat between the Kohonmaru and the Nishijo baileys
Large dry moat or trench between the Kohonmaru and the Nishijo baileys
View of the castle mountain from the road
Map
Map

Castle Profile
English Name	Karasuyama Castle
Japanese Name	烏山城
Alternate Names	Gagyu-jo
Founder	Nasu Sukeshige
Year Founded	1418
Castle Type	Mountaintop
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Historical Period	Edo Period
Features	trenches, stone walls
Visitor Information
Access	Karasuyama Sta. (JR Karasuyama Line), 15 min walk
Visitor Information	Open anytime
Time Required	90 mins
Website	http://www.city.nasukarasuyama.lg.jp/9,1282,38.html
Location	Nasu Karasuyama, Tochigi Prefecture
Coordinates	36° 39' 50.00" N, 140° 8' 51.00" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2015
Admin Year Visited	2015
Admin Visits	April 16, 2015

2.50

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ARTShogun

78 months ago

Score 1

Karasuyamajō is a yamajiro (mountaintop castle) with remaining ishigaki (stone rampart) ruins, horikiri (trenches), dorui (earth-piled embankments) and many baileys. We went at morning. The castle was quiet and the climb invigorating. I enjoyed walking the trenches and looking up at the break in the canopy coverage that mirrored the excavated ditches separating baileys. The undergrowth was crunchy and turned up many neatly formed frost columns and blue-purple berries.

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