Touyagane Castle
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History
It is said that Tōyaganejō was constructed in the 1290s by the Banba Clan, but this is not known for sure. The historical tidbit comes from mention of the construction of a shrine, but it’s also possible that a shrine built in the 13th century was fortified by Nagasawa Chikanori in the 15th century. I’d suggest the ruins we see today date to later.
When Matsudaira forces invaded Nagasawa Valley in 1561, Tōyaganejō was defended by the Obara and Kasuya clans, vassals of the Imagawa Clan. Tōyaganejō fell to the attackers after an intense battle, and the defenders were wiped out.
The siege of Tōyaganejō is thought to have been the first battle of Honda Tadakatsu, a famous general of Tokugawa Ieyasu, when he was 14. There is a story that Tadakatsu’s uncle gave him a severed head (with helmet) to present as one of his trophies, but the young warrior cried out in shame at the thought of taking credit for someone else’s kill. This incident proved much to his credit.
Visit Notes
Tōyaganejō is a hilltop castle site in Nagasawa Township, Toyokawa Municipality. The ruins feature impressive karabori (dry moats), kuruwa (baileys), and dorui (earthen ramparts). I searched nearly the whole hill, but most of the ruins can be found in the northwest. The site is now fields, bamboo groves, and an abandoned ‘short-stay’ hotel, the latter inhabiting the main bailey. The karabori is most accessible in the southeast of the second bailey. That portion terminates in an old shed, but on the other side it continues, though the southwestern portion is choked with bamboo and quite difficult to enter. There is karabori and dorui around the main bailey on two sides, south and west; the east moat between the first and second bailey was likely filled in to provide for the hotel’s parking area, and the northern perimeter is now a road.
I was very happy with my findings, and so tried to check for outer ruins too. At one point I found a very obvious ditch, but I think it was probably built in later times as a measure against boars. Speaking of which, opposite the hill is a large orchard surrounded by a beautiful stone wall. It almost looks like something one would see at an Okinawan gusuku (castle). This stone wall, piled in the middle Edo period, is an important cultural property, and was erected to prevent wild boars from invading the orchard.
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Touyagane Castle |
| Japanese Name | 登屋ヶ根城 |
| Founder | Banba Clan; Nagasawa Chikanori |
| Year Founded | 1290s; 1457 |
| Castle Type | Mountaintop |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Artifacts | Karabori, Kuruwa, Dorui |
| Features | trenches |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Meiden-Nagasawa Station on the Meitetsu-Nagoya Line; 15 minute walk |
| Visitor Information | 24/7; Free; Fields |
| Time Required | 60 minutes |
| Website | https://www.net-plaza.org/KANKO/toyokawa/shiro/toyaganejyo/index.html |
| Location | Toyokawa, Aichi Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 34° 52' 23.70" N, 137° 16' 36.84" E |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2023 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Jōkaku Hōrōki | |
| Umoreta Kojō | |
| Jōkaku Shashin Kiroku | |
| Aichi no Shiro | |
| Yogo | |
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