Motojuku Castle
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History
Motojukujō was the fortified residence of Matsudaira Shigehiro in the mid' 16th century. The layout of the fort was rectangular, with ramparts about 50m by 100m in length, and was further protected by the river which meandered around it, and a slight rise in elevation.
Following the death of Matsudaira Kiyoyasu, clan sōke (head), in 1535, the Matsudaira clan became split into two factions; pro-Oda and pro-Imagawa (as allying with one would likely mean fighting the other, and the Matsudaira were caught in the middle). Matsudaira Shigehiro, the third son of Matsudaira Nobusada of the Okazaki branch of the Matsudaira, sided with the pro-Oda faction. Matsudaira Hirotada, the next Matsudaira Clan sōke, entered Okazaki Castle in 1547 and sent Sakai Masachika, Ishikawa Kazumasa and others to attack Motojuku Castle. The defenders of Motojukujō repulsed their attacks by firing arrows at them whilst they tried without success to cross the moat-like river surrounding much of the fort. When the attackers retreated, Shigehiro set out in pursuit of them, but this proved to be a disastrous mistake, as enemy reinforcements ambushed he and his men as they approached Okazaki, and slaughtered much of his force. Shigehiro's younger brother, Chikanari, was slain, and it is said that only Shigehiro and a handful of his men made it back to Motojukujō. Shigehiro, seeing his position would soon be hopeless, fled Motojukujō with his son.
A later castellan of Motojukujō was Sakai Yoshirō, a vassal of the Matsudaira.
Visit Notes
Motojukujō is a fortified residence site in Motojuku Township, Okazaki Municipality. No clear ruins remain of the castle, and the site is now a residence surrounded by farmland and a bamboo grove. The neighbourhood name is 'Old Castle'. A large infrastructure trunk containing the Meitetsu-Nagoya railway, the Tōmei Expressway and the National Route 1 highway, has effaced much of the site.
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Motojuku Castle |
| Japanese Name | 本宿城 |
| Founder | Matsudaira Shigehiro |
| Year Founded | Mid' 16th Century |
| Castle Type | Fortified Manor |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Features | |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Motojuku Station on the Meitetsu-Nagoya Line; 5 minute walk |
| Visitor Information | Access Limited |
| Time Required | 20 minutes |
| Location | Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 34° 53' 25.33" N, 137° 15' 46.01" E |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2023 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Jōkaku Shashin Kiroku | |
| Umoreta Kojō | |
| Aichi Shiro | |
| Yogo | |
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