Kongouji Castle (Murakami Clan Fort Network)

History

See Murakami Katsurao Castle for more background information on the Murakami Clan.

Visit Notes

Murakami-Kongōjiō, or Kongōjijōdai-yashiki, was a large fortified manor hall used by the Murakami Clan in Sumiyoshi Valley. It and the surrounding area have been called the "Ichijōdani of Shinshū" due to the historical importance of the manor house and surrounding village, fortified from surrounding mountain peaks. However, there is very little left to see today of the complex. Some dorui (earthen ramparts) segments remain, most prominently to the south, with a possible section to the north. The largest segment to survive into modern times functioned as an outer town wall and was over 2m high, but it was destroyed in the 1950s or 1960s to make way for a farmer's orchard. It's strange that this wall could last so long only to be casually swept aside relatively recently, but I suppose that some farmer or other had got his hands on some new machinery and, long oppressed by the presence of an inconvenient earthen wall dividing his land, removed it as soon as he was able. If only he had known he was destroying the last significant remains of the "Ichijōdani of Shinshū" there's a chance he may have refrained from doing so perhaps. Sign boards are erected throughout the modern village to describe parts of the historic townscape.

Gallery

Former site of Dorui

Castle Profile
English Name	Kongouji Castle (Murakami Clan Fort Network)
Japanese Name	村上金剛寺城
Alternate Names	金剛寺城代屋敷
Founder	Murakami Clan
Year Founded	Sengoku Period
Castle Type	Flatland
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Artifacts	Dorui, Hori
Features	trenches
Visitor Information
Access	Ueda Sation on the Shinano Railway; bus to Kamishina; 20 minute walk to Sumiyoshi
Visitor Information	24/7 free; fields
Time Required	40 minutes
Location	Ueda, Nagano Prefecture
Coordinates	36° 25' 4.01" N, 138° 17' 4.70" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2022
Contributor	ART
Admin Year Visited	Viewer Contributed
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