Ishigami Castle

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01Ishigami.JPG

History

In 1489 the Date Clan and allies invaded Satake Clan territory in Hitachi. Satake Yoshiharu led his troops, including Onozaki Michitsuna, into battle. Michitsuna gave his life protecting his lord on the battlefield. Afterward, in acknowledgement of his loyalty, Michitsuna's son, Michioi, was given land on which he built Ishigamijō in 1490. He later changed his clan name to Ishigami after the area under his control, a common way to stake your claim to land I suppose. In 1536 Ishigami Michinaga was involved in border wars and attacked by relatives from Nukadajō who captured Ishigamijō. After this family dispute was settled the Ishigami were allowed to return to Ishigamijō and, under Ishigami Michihiro, led 360 horsemen into battle in 1577 against Yūki Harutomo who was a vassal of the powerful Hōjō Clan based at Odawarajō. In 1588 Ishigami Michinobu was killed in action and the remaining Ishigami relocated, following some of their Satake overlords to Akita, abandoning Ishigamijō.


Visit Notes

Ishigamijō is a little smaller in scale than Ushikujō but has similarly impressive deep trenches. Features include karabori (dry moats), kuruwa (baileys), dorui (earthen embankments) and dobashi (earthen bridges). The layout of the castle is also interesting with a small inner sub-bailey beyond the honmaru (main bailey) looking over a cliff face and waterway. This raised section of the castle was likely the site of a lookout tower. To access the honmaru one must pass through an outer ninomaru (second bailey), which gives the castle a hashigo-nawabari (ladder layout). The trenches dug into the hill provided protection between baileys, typical of hilltop castles. When we came here nature was out in force and I was chased into a trench by a wasp. I was able to climb over a fallen tree over the moat around the second bailey. Balancing precariously over the moat gave me an appreciation for its depth which is not otherwise easily gleaned from the parapets. Plus the moat was full of snakes and carnivorous plants. For samurai assaulting back in the day you can imagine a muddy pit with slippery walls impossible to climb and studded with bamboo stakes, capped with palings and manned by the defenders of the castle.




Gallery


Castle Profile
English Name Ishigami Castle
Japanese Name 石神城
Founder Onozaki Michioi
Year Founded 1490
Castle Type Hilltop
Castle Condition Ruins only
Designations Prefectural Historic Site
Historical Period Pre Edo Period
Artifacts Baileys, Karabori, Dorui
Features trenches
Visitor Information
Access Tokai Station on the Joban Line; 30 minute walk
Visitor Information Free, 24/7
Time Required One hour
Website https://www.vill.tokai.ibaraki.jp/viewer/info.html?id=5571
Location Toukai-mura, Ibaraki Prefecture
Coordinates 36° 28' 57.43" N, 140° 34' 41.30" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle 2018
Contributor ART
Admin Year Visited Viewer Contributed


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