Kogane Castle

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Kogane16.jpg

History

The Hara Clan, chief retainer of the Chiba clan, had one of their leading vassals Takagi Taneyoshi build Kogane Castle in 1537. The castle was further fortified around 1560 against advances by Uesugi Kenshin. In February of 1566 the castle outlasted a siege by the Uesugi. In 1590 the castle fell to Asano Nagamasa in the Siege of Odawara. The castle was commanded by the Takagi for 3 generations and 53 years. After the Siege of Odawara, one of Ieyasu's sons Takeda Nobuyoshi commanded the castle until it was abandoned in 1593.


Visit Notes

The original castle was actually quite vast and with a prosperous castle town. Unfortunately, most of the castle has been developed over but a significant number of building foundations and artifacts have been discovered over the years. What you see today is a small part that remained atop one of the hills. There is also another small park nearby with one of the gates. Unebori and Shojibori style moats and trenches typical of Hojo construction have been uncovered at the castle but are now mostly buried. I thought there was more to see of the unebori which was the main reason I went but all you can see today is in the pictures here.
この城は広大で栄えた城下町もありましたが、現在ほとんど開発されてしまってその痕跡が少ししか残っていません。大谷口歴史公園の他に少し離れた所に達摩口の跡もあります。後北条時代の障子堀と畝堀も発掘調査で見つかっていませうが、一箇所以外は全部埋められて残念ながら何も見えません。もっと見られると思って行ってみましたが、少しがっかりしました。


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Gallery
  • entrance
  • Darumaguchi Entrance
  • Darumaguchi Entrance
  • entrance
  • Site of the Kanasugi Gate
  • Shojibori moat
  • Shojibori moat
  • Earthen embankment
  • Unebori moat
  • Unebori moat
  • Unebori moat photo
  • Earthen embankment
  • map
  • Map
  • Map


Castle Profile
English Name Kogane Castle
Japanese Name 小金城
Alternate Names Oyaguchi Castle
Founder Takagi Taneyoshi
Year Founded 1537
Castle Type Hilltop
Castle Condition Ruins only
Historical Period Pre Edo Period
Features trenches
Visitor Information
Access Koganejoshi Sta (Ryutetsu Nagareyama Line) 10 min walk, or Kitakogane Sta. (Joban line); 15 min walk
Visitor Information park is open any time
Time Required 30 mins
Website http://www.city.matsudo.chiba.jp/miryoku/kankoumiryokubunka/rekisi-bunka/rekishi/chiikinorekishi/kogane.html
Location Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture
Coordinates 35° 50' 10.18" N, 139° 55' 20.96" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle 2015
Admin Year Visited 2015
Admin Visits April 17, 2015


1.50
(2 votes)
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ARTShogun

16 months ago
Score 0++
Near the top of the hill are the remains of a moat. Here there used to be unebori moat defences, but these are deteriorated or buried now. Further down the hill is another remaining moat segment. In this area there were shōjibori moat defences, but again, these are no longer discernible. Gate posts have been erected before a small sub bailey to show the entrance to the site. The most prominent feature of this hilltop castle is the dorui (earthen ramparts) ringing a bailey. This is located in Ôyaguchi Historical Park. The castle site used to be vast but has been developed over by family homes and apartment complexes. Another small portion of castle ruins outside of the park, the former Darumaguchi, has been preserved nearby. All in all there isn't much to see, but it's very close to the Jōban Line which I took between Tōkyō and Iwaki so I decided to stop off here on my way back from Edogawa-ku. The site has some signage. Which you would expect from a 'historical park' but it was also strewn with litter when I went, and sadly it looked liked the moat had been used to discard rubbish into. I'd say don't go to this site - unless you are going to Hondoji, which is a beautiful temple famous for azaleas located nearby, in which case you may as well view the ruins if you have time - but maybe they've cleaned it up a bit since my visit.