Utsuro Yakata
History
The Ōmi-Minamoto Clan (Sasaki Clan) was split into the Rokkaku Clan (the main successor of the Sasaki Clan), the Kyōgoku Clan, the Takashima Clan and the Ôhara Clan. The Utsuro Clan were vassals of the Kyōgoku Clan and took territory in this area, founding their yakata (fortified manor hall) here. Utsuro Sadataka was the lord of the manor. There was once a hamlet in the area called Ôdono, named for the yakata after it had ceased to exist. The site of the yakata has subsequently been buried under successive waves of development starting with the expansion of the jōkamachi (castle town) of Ōmi-Hachiman.
Visit Notes
Utsuro-yakata was located between what is now the site of Hachiman-jinja, a small local shrine to Hachiman in the neighbourhood of Nakamura, and the Kure-Hachiman-jinja, another small shrine between the Nakamura and Honmachi neighbourhoods. Neither shrines are to be confused with the Himure-Hachimangū, the main shrine in Ōmi-Hachiman at the foot of Mount Hachiman. There is also an Utsuro neighbourhood of Ōmi-Hachiman, but this is located to the east of the yakata site. I visited the southerly Hachiman-jinja, found nothing, and stopped searching, eager to get on with my main intinerary for the day. However, according to some castle bloggers the remains of what may have been a moat of the fortified residence can be found behind the northerly Kure-Hachiman-jinja. I didn't check here. I suppose it makes sense that there are lots of shrines to Hachiman in Ōmi-Hachiman!
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Utsuro Yakata |
| Japanese Name | 宇津呂館 |
| Founder | Utsuro Sadataka |
| Year Founded | Medieval Era |
| Castle Type | Fortified Manor |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Artifacts | Hori |
| Features | trenches |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Ōmi-Hachiman Station on the Biwako Line; 20 minute walk |
| Visitor Information | 24/7 free; shrines |
| Time Required | 20 minutes |
| Location | Ōmi-Hachiman, Shiga Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 35° 7' 54.44" N, 136° 5' 31.13" E |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2022 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Jōkaku Tanbō | |
| Masaki Shibata | |
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