Oura Castle
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History
Ōrajō was built by the Mutō Clan (also known as the Daihōji Clan) - possibly in the Kamakura period though this is unknown. In the early 16th century Daihōji Harutoki moved the clan’s headquarters from Daihōjijō (Tsurugaoka Castle) to Ōrajō due to the danger posed by the Sagoshi Clan who were backed by the Uesugi Clan and out to cause trouble.
The Mutō Clan and the Mogami Clan were at constant war over control over the Shōnai area. In 1583 the Mogami Clan (HQ: Yamagata Castle) corrupted Mutō Clan vassal Tōzenji Yoshinaga (HQ: Kamegasaki Castle), and he attacked Ōrajō, forcing its lord, Mutō Yoshiuji, to commit seppuku (don’t think Akechi Mitsuhide invented that maneuver; it was a samurai staple!). Mutō Yoshioki, Yoshiuji’s younger brother, took over as lord of the castle after that, but his position vis-à-vis the Mogami Clan was much weaker. In order to successfully get out from under their odious heel, Yoshioki adopted Yoshikatsu from the Honjō Clan as his heir. In 1587 Mogami Yoshimitsu felt Yoshioki’s rebellious attitude and so assaulted Ōrajō. The time was now for Yoshioki, but when he called, the Honjō were too busy being attacked by the Uesugi, and no help came. Yoshioki, like his elder brother, then fell on his sword.
However, Yoshikatsu escaped, and went back to the Honjō Clan. The next year, now able to mobilise, Honjō Shigenaga stormed into Shōnai with a large army, retaking Ōrajō, and conquering Shōnai. The victory was short-lived, however, as the Uesugi Clan, seeing that the Honjō were tied down in Shōnai, took the opportunity to defeat the clan, and capture Shōnai for themselves.
After the Uesugi attacked the Mogami during the battle of Sekigahara as part of the Western Army, they were forced to retreat after the death of Ishida Mitsunari, and the Mogami regained Shōnai. Ōrajō presumably changed hands during these conflicts too. When the Mogami took over the castle in 1600, they changed the castle’s name to Ôyamajō (the Mogami absolutely loved changing the names of castles they conquered, it seems, though in this case the new name didn’t really stick). At that time the tower and residential hall presumed to have been located atop of the mountain during the Sengoku period were not rebuilt, but instead some facilities were constructed at the foot of the castle mount in 1601.
After the ravages of many battles, the final abandonment of Ōrajō likely came in 1615 with the Ikkoku-Ichijōrei, as it was deserted by the time the Sakai Clan took over Shōnai from Tsurugaokajō (renamed from Daihōjijō by the Mogami) in 1622. The castle mount has been a park with shrines since the Meiji period.
Visit Notes
Ōrajō is a yamajiro (mountaintop castle) ruin located in the town of Ôyama in Tsuruoka Municipality. The ruins are maintained as part of Ôyama Park, and the mountain is now the site of several shrines. The main features of this ruin are earthworks. Dorui (earthen ramparts) partially surround the main bailey, and to the rear there is a horikiri, though now it is spanned by a modern bridge and the trench walls are concreted. Much of the mountain is terraced with wide baileys. Due to them being parkland and maintained, the koshikuruwa (terraced baileys) at Ōrajō are much easier to appreciate from different parts of the castle than at many other yamajiro where forest obscures them. There is a ridge which looks like it was used as a sort of natural barrier in the castle’s second bailey, and it probably hosted a lookout, being the tallest part of the castle mount. Here I found moth larvae clustered on the underside of leaves in a strange star formation. The yellow backs of the little grubs were studded with nasty barbs.
Gallery
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Oura Castle |
| Japanese Name | 尾浦城 |
| Alternate Names | Ôurajō (大浦城) / Ôyamajō (大山城) |
| Founder | Mutō Clan |
| Year Founded | Early 16th Century |
| Castle Type | Mountaintop |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Artifacts | Kuruwa, Koshikuruwa, Dorui, Horikiri |
| Features | trenches |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Uzen-Ôyama Station on the Uetsu Line; 18 minute walk to Ôyama Park |
| Visitor Information | Open 24/7; free (park) |
| Time Required | 60 minutes |
| Website | https://www.dewatabi.com/syounai/ooyama/siro.html |
| Location | Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 38° 45' 15.98" N, 139° 45' 42.62" E |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2023 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Yogo | |
| Jōkaku Hōrōki | |
| Kojōdan | |
| Tōhoku Jōkan | |
| Shiro Meguri | |
| Kojō Seisuiki | |
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