Kashiwara Castle
History
According to the Iranki, Kashiwarajō was the last battle of Tenshō Iga no Ran. Iga no Mono, including members of the Momochi family, defended the fort. Oda’s forces swept through Iga, attacking the populace as an act of vengeance. Oda ordered Tsutsui Junkei, lord of neighbouring Yamato Province who was leading the invasion in the southwest, to be ruthless, and decreed that for every day the Iga no Mono resisted, the heads of 300-500 locals should be collected. Two weeks following the initial invasion of Iga during this second phase of the war beginning September 30th 1581, the Iga no Mono surrendered and gave up Kashiwarajō to Tsutsui Junkei. At that time the Yamato Noh actor Ōkura Goroji acted as an intermediary in the negotiations.
Oda Nobunaga’s forces had numbered 42,000, more than four times larger than the forces Oda Nobukatsu had commanded in the first half of the war, whilst the defending forces had only 10,000 spread throughout the entire province. Iga’s remoteness and mountainous terrain with few passages meant that it was relatively easy to defend with small forces, but even so, they were eventually overwhelmed by vastly superior numbers. Tsutsui’s cousin and adopted son, Tsutsui Sadatsugu, would go on to rule Iga from Iga-Uenojō after the Tsutsui Clan was ordered out of Yamato and replaced by Toyotomi Hidenaga.
Visit Notes
The above description is compiled in part from information presented in 49 True Stories of the Iga Ninja, by Ikeda Hiroshi, a researcher on the topic of ninjutsu who was kind enough to show me around Iga. I watched him film a documentary at the castle ruin - though I'll admit to wondering off at one point to explore the ruins.
The site is about 500m from Akameguchi on the Osaka-Kintetsu Line. Please see google maps. You will have to take a narrow footpath to reach this site, it starts between two fields near Katte Shrine and proceeds up the hill. Earth works remain. The area is now forested but kept neat. Some earthen mounds seem to contain chunks of stone, but this was principally a fort of wooden palings surrounding an encampment.
Profile and photos contributed by ART
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Kashiwara Castle |
| Japanese Name | 柏原城 |
| Alternate Names | 滝野城 |
| Founder | |
| Year Founded | |
| Castle Type | Hilltop |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Main Keep Structure | Earthworks |
| Features | bridges, trenches |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | About 500m from Akameguchi on the Osaka-Kintetsu Line. |
| Visitor Information | Free, 24/7 |
| Time Required | 30 minutes |
| Website | http://www.city.nabari.lg.jp/ct/other000026300/139000850-9-4-2-3.pdf |
| Location | Akame, Mie Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 34° 35' 40.42" N, 136° 5' 2.18" E |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2016 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Kojōdan | |
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