Ogura Castle (Azumi)

History

Rulers of Shinano Province, the Ogasawara Clan, constructed Ogurajō, and Ogasawara Sadamasa was castellan, making the castle his base as he was deputised to oversee the Azumi District. It was a simple mountain stronghold with an acute angled obikuruwa (belt bailey) hugging central enclosures on the peak. The central area of the fort was split into three baileys in a truncated renkaku-shiki (chain-style) layout, with the smallest and lowest bailey situated at the corner formed by the obikuruwa, and subsequent baileys climbing and expanding in area. The obikuruwa did not go all the way around but was bounded by two trenches on either side. On the exposed flank of the castle was the mountain slope. The main bailey overlooked this area, being located at the highest point.

Visit Notes

Ogurajō is a yamajiro (mountaintop castle) ruin located in Ogura Village, Azumino Municipality, Nagano Prefecture. The trail to the castle can be found just beyond the shrine at the top of the village. Markers for the castle are situated at the foot of the mountain. After passing beyond the Fudō shrine with its huge boulders I lost the trail for a while. In fact the trails are really just different coloured tape used as guide lines without much of a path beneath, so the climb can be challenging in places. After forgetting which combination of tape I followed I ended up coming back down by a different way on the other side of the shrine. The ruins consist of kuruwa (baileys), hori (trenches) and dorui (earthen embankments).

Gallery

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Castle Profile
English Name	Azumi Ogura Castle
Japanese Name	安曇小倉城
Founder	Ogasawara Sadamasa
Year Founded	Medieval Era
Castle Type	Mountaintop
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Designations	Local Historic Site
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Artifacts	Horikiri, Obikuruwa, Kuruwa, Dorui
Features	trenches
Visitor Information
Access	Nearest station is Hitoichiba Station on the Oito Line
Visitor Information	Free; 24/7; Mountain
Time Required	30 minutes
Location	Azumino, Nagano Prefecture
Coordinates	36° 16' 10.45" N, 137° 50' 13.38" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2020
Contributor	ART
Admin Year Visited	Viewer Contributed
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