Odano Castle (Kai)
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History
Odanojō's origins are unknown but by tradition it was first built by Yasuda Yoshisada in the late Heian period. In 1465, Atobe Kagiie, the rebelling deputy governor of Kai, was defeated by Takeda Nobumasa, the governor, and retreated to Odanojō where he committed seppuku. The fort may have been used as a beacon tower in the Sengoku period.
Visit Notes
Odanojō is a yamajiro (mountaintop castle) ruin in Makioka Township, Yamanashi Municipality. Its footprint covers three ridges extending down from the mountaintop. I climbed up via the eastern ridge, at the bottom of which is an area referred to as the bansho (guard house) where there are earthworks. I'm not sure if the embankment here was piled for the fort, or excavated for a shrine; now two small stone altars stand in the clearing. However, there is what looks like the remains of a horikiri (trench) to the rear so probably this was a part of the fort complex.
The eastern ridge, above the bansho area, has two horikiri, one at the top and one at the bottom. In between there are two flattened portions of the ridge which were baileys. The lower of the two has two terraces beneath it, making it quite a substantial bailey complex. Large boulders are scattered here and there amidst terraced pocket baileys. I recognised a standing rock from another blogger's photos and knew that I had come to a place just beneath the main bailey.
The main bailey is a little spacious with slight terracing. There is a post marker for the castle here. To the north is a trench, beyond which is a narrow, flattened ridge. There is also a large spur of terraced baileys along the southern ridge which descend like a giant staircase. About half way down the southern bailey spur is a long bailey.
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Odano Castle (Kai) |
| Japanese Name | 甲斐小田野城 |
| Founder | Yasuda Yoshisada |
| Year Founded | Heian Period |
| Castle Type | Mountaintop |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Artifacts | Kuruwa, Horikiri, &c. |
| Features | trenches |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | I ascended from Fumonji, a temple to the east of the castle-mount |
| Visitor Information | 24/7 free; mountain |
| Time Required | 80 minutes |
| Location | Yamanashi, Yamanashi Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 35° 44' 33.11" N, 138° 40' 38.21" E |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2024 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Jōkakuzukan | |
| Jōkaku Hōrōki | |
| Yogo | |
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