Kinowa Castle
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History
The remains of Kinowa Castle were unearthed in 1931. It is thought that Kinowa-no-ki became the site of the provincial capital of Dewa following the abandonment of Akita Castle in 1050. Kinowa-no-saku was a large fortress, with inner walls around 115m in length in a square configuration, and outer perimeter sides over 700m in length. The site was maintained as a history park from 1984, and the walls and gates of the main enclosure were partially restored.
Visit Notes
Kinowa(-no)-saku / Kinowa-no-ki is a partially reconstructed jōsaku site between the villages of Kinowa and Tamada in Sakata Municipality. The site is a well-maintained history park. Restored structures include two gatehouses and attached segments of tsujibei walls. Tsujibei walls are made from pounding layers of earth within a wooden and bamboo trellis frame, sometimes finished with a stucco whitewash. These types of walls were often constructed at jōsaku.
Jōsaku were flatland, walled forts built from the Nara period by the Yamato to subjugate the Emishi, the northern peoples of Honshū. The Yamato were successful in their mission to spread the frontiers of the children of the sun goddess throughout the Japanese archipelago. The Emishi no longer exist as a distinct people, but their greatest legacy arguably came later in the 11th century with the rise of Fujiwara Kiyohara, the half-blood prince of Hiraizumi, whose dynasty ruled Tōhoku until the end of the Heian period.
The reconstructions at Kinowa-saku, the name of which appears to be an allusion to castle baileys, are based to some extent on extant architecture found at temples in Nara since no contemporary jōsaku structures survive.
Gallery
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Kinowa Castle |
| Japanese Name | 城輪柵 |
| Founder | Yamato Kingdom |
| Year Founded | 1050 |
| Castle Type | Flatland |
| Castle Condition | No main keep but other buildings |
| Designations | National Historic Site |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Features | gates, walls |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Motate Station on the Uetsu Main Line; 35 minute walk |
| Visitor Information | Open 24/7; free (park) |
| Time Required | 40 minutes |
| Website | https://www.city.sakata.lg.jp/bunka/bunkazai/bunkazaishisetsu/kinowasakuato.html |
| Location | Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 38° 57' 49.43" N, 139° 54' 33.34" E |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2023 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Yogo | |
| Kojōdan | |
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