Matsuo Castle (Mino)

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History

Matsuo Castle was used as a base by the turncoat Kobayakawa's troops at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600.


Visit Notes

Ground surface-wise...What is Gifu Prefectures’ largest Yamajiro, mountain castle site?

In fact it’s Matsuo Castle, overlooking Sekigahara and used as a base by the turncoat Kobayakawa troops in the 1600 Battle of Sekigahara. It’s a 40 plus minute climb up the mountain, made easier by recent development work. The site still retains large Horikiri, Koguchi, dorui, kuruwa, tsuchibashi, and other features. The Honmaru also has an early version Masugata Koguchi with a left, instead of the usual right hand turn! The view over the Sekigahara basin and the site of the Battlefield is absolutely fantastic!

Profile by Chris Glenn (edited by ART).




Gallery
  • Dorui (Earthen Ramparts)
  • Tsuchibashi (Earthen Bridge)
  • Dorui
  • Proto-Masugata


Castle Profile
English Name Mino Matsuo Castle
Japanese Name 美濃松尾城
Alternate Names Matsuoyamajō
Founder
Year Founded
Castle Type Mountaintop
Castle Condition Ruins only
Designations Local Historic Site
Historical Period Pre Edo Period
Artifacts Horikiri, koguchi, dorui, kuruwa, tsuchibashi
Features trenches
Visitor Information
Access Sekigahara Station on the Tokaidō Main Line
Visitor Information 24/7 free; mountain
Time Required 60 minutes
Location Sekigahara, Gifu Prefecture
Coordinates 35° 20' 50.24" N, 136° 27' 15.52" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle 2022
Contributor 豪谷
Admin Year Visited Viewer Contributed


3.00
(one vote)
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RaymondWDaimyo

10 months ago
Score 1++

I went to this castle ruin back in 2014 when I visited many of the locations around the Sekigahara Battlefield. Even back then, it was easy to get up to and down from this yamajiro as the lower part of the trail is basically a fire trail before one takes a turn into a well-maintained path leading up to the main bailey of this castle.

Matsuoyama Castle has a lot of earthworks remaining including ditches, earthen ramparts, and sites of gate ruins. Four of the photos on this profile clearly show the main bailey’s dorui and its masugata gate ruin on the south side. If one stands on the dorui facing north at the main bailey and look down, a long tatetori (ditch running vertically down the mountain) can be seen.

This is certainly an impressive and enjoyable castle ruin to visit for a castle fan as I have seen gate ruins, earthen ramparts (both dorui and kirigishi), a well, and ditches which aren’t shown in the photos here. However, if you want to see all of this extensive yamajiro, you will have venture off the trail into the less maintained parts of the castle ruin. If one is visiting the Sekigahara Battlefield, be sure to make time to visit this yamajiro.