Akagi Yakata
History
Akagi-yakata was the fortified manor hall of the Akagi Clan, situated beneath Akagi-kitajō (North Akagi Castle) which was built on a plateau. It was part of a complex of fortifications which controlled an important trade route which ran through them (五千石街道). Akagi-yakata encompassed an area of 80 by 100m. It had a simple angular layout. At the edge of this area on one side is a strip of field about 4m wide which looks like it could be the trace of a dry moat.
Nearby is the temple Kōchōji, which was the formerly the site of another fortified residence, the Takami-yakata, which was part of the same complex of fortifications as Akagi-yakata. Takami-yakata was smaller in scale than Akagi-yakata, the clan's headquarters, measuring in a square of about 70m, but with a projecting area in the north to take advantage of the sloped elevation.
The Akagi Clan has been linked to the Hatakeyama Clan and the Musashi-Chichibu Clan. They would eventually relocate from Shinano Province to Bitchū Province.
Visit Notes
Practically no ruins remain of Akagi-yakata; it is now the site of fields and some homes. To the south, perhaps fittingly, is the community hall for the village of Akagi, as well as the site of Takami-yakata. I took one picture showing where a moat may have ran.
Related sites: Takami-yakata (Takami Yakata), Akagi-minamijō (Akagi Minami Castle), Akagi-kitajō (Akagi Kita Castle). I also took the opportunity to revisit Akagi-kitajō but it is now impossibly overgrown and inaccessible.
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Akagi Yakata |
| Japanese Name | 赤木館 |
| Founder | Akagi Clan |
| Year Founded | Medieval Era |
| Castle Type | Fortified Manor |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Artifacts | Moat Trace |
| Features | |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Murai Station on the Shinonoi Line; 30 minute walk |
| Visitor Information | Private Property |
| Time Required | 5 minutes |
| Location | Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 36° 9' 41.80" N, 137° 58' 16.18" E |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2021 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Yogokun | |
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