Torigoe Castle

History

The exact date when Torigoe castle was build is unknown, but must be around 1580, by Suzuki Dewanokami. He was a commander of an Ikkô-ikki army. He decided to build this castle on a 312m high hill, between the rivers Dainichi and Tedori. It stood in front of the Futoge castle(an older castle), on the opposite bank of the Dainichi river. An army of Oda Nobunaga under the command of Sakuma Morimasa was send to this castle in 1580 to suppress the last of the Ikkô-ikki. The head temple of the Kaga province, Oyama gobo, had already fallen to the Oda. But Dewanokami defended well the castle and Morimasa had to retreat. Shibata Katsuie, another Oda general, tricked Suzuki Dewanokami in peace negotiations and instead killed him and several other Ikkô-ikki genrals at the meeting. Without leaders, the castle fell to the Oda. One year later an uprising of the Hakusan people retook the castle, but Sakuma Morimasa recovered it and slaughtered everybody(about 300 people). Sakuma Morimasa was executed after the battle of Shizugatake in 1583 and the Torigoe castle was abolished. This castle is renowned as being the last stand of the Kaga Ikkô-ikki.

Visit Notes

I didn't found a suitable public transportation to this site so i took a taxi from Tsurugi station as stated above. When you visit this site go also to the Ikkô-ikki no sato. It's at +/-3km from the castle site. It relates the stories of Torigoe castle and Futoge castle. Admission is 300 yen; open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed on mondays(if monday is a holiday, closed the day after), new year and special occasions. The internet site is only in japanese : http://www.city.hakusan.ishikawa.jp/kankoubunkabu/ixtuki/ikkifolda/ikkoikkirekisikan.html From Ikkô-ikki no sato it's about 400m to the entrance of Futoge castle.

Gallery

Castle Profile
English Name	Torigoe Castle
Japanese Name	鳥越城
Founder	Suzuki Dewanokami
Year Founded	16th C.
Castle Type	Mountaintop
Castle Condition	No main keep but other buildings
Designations	Next 100 Castles, Top 100 Mountaintop Castles, National Historic Site
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Features	gates, trenches, walls
Visitor Information
Access	From Tsurugi station on the Hokuriku Railroad Ishikawa Line, Taxi 20min.(4050yen)
Visitor Information	Open year-round; admission free
Time Required	1 hour
Website	http://hakusan-geo.main.jp/en/areaintro/site06 04-01.html http://www.japancastle.jp/search?q=torigoe
Location	Hakusan, Ishikawa Prefecture
Coordinates	36° 21' 58.93" N, 136° 36' 3.74" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2017
Contributor	Furinkazan
Admin Year Visited	Viewer Contributed

4.00

(2 votes)

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ARTShogun

61 months ago

Score 0

When I first came up to the castle it was still raining. Eventually it died down and the whole castle became enveloped in a thick mist. It was like getting lost in a cloud. Torigoejō has four principle baileys: the honmaru (main bailey), nakanomaru (middle bailey), ushiro-ninomaru (rear second bailey) and sannomaru (third bailey). Several structures have been restored at the site. The nakanomarumon, gate to the middle bailey, is the largest. In the nakanomaru is also a restored structure, possibly used as a storehouse or sleeping area. The gates before the main bailey are the masugatamon, with its stone-piled ramparts either side, and the honmarumon, which is a primitive yaguramon (turret-gate). The palatial lord's residence that the honmaru once contained is mapped out with wooden posts. There are reconstructed palisades here and there. I found some remains of ishigaki (stone-piled ramparts) in the horikiri (trench) seperating the main and rear baileys. Other ruins include horikiri, ishigaki at the front of the masugata, dorui (earthen ramparts), koshikuruwa ("hip" baileys), yaguradai (turret platform) and large embankments. Torigoejō is a great yamashiro (mountain castle) ruin with restored structures so I rate it highly.

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