Daikannon Castle

History

Daikannonjō was a satellite fortification of Iimoriyamajō, functioning as one of a complex of fortification in the hills around Asuke township. Daikannonjō protected the eastern approach to the town, and was used by the Asuke-Suzuki Clan. For more information see Iimoriyamajō.

Visit Notes

Daikannonjō is a yamajiro (mountaintop castle) ruin in Asuke Township, Toyota Municipality. The ruins are primarily earthworks and consist of kuruwa (baileys) and terracing. The main bailey is surrounded wholly by an obikuruwa (belt bailey) with terraced spurs radiating out like the limbs of a deformed starfish. The ridge between the main bailey and the castle's name-sake temple, Kannonji, is heavily terraced, and may have been repurposed for agriculture at some point, though now everything is shaded by a gloomy bamboo forest.

I wasn't sure I would visit Daikannonjō, since I was initially heading for Asuke-Shiroyamajō when I came across a sign pointing to the temple associated with the site. I checked for information and saw that one of my favourite local castle bloggers had wrote about his visit there, providing a simple map. That gentleman blogger has got me out of more than one scrape with his wonderful blog, and I trust him with my life. So I decided to climb up past the temple to Daikannonjō.

The fort's lower footprint with its extensive terracing may include the temple grounds of Kannonji. The hachimaki-like stonewall beneath the temple is presumably a relic of the temple rather than the castle. The temple is itself now abandoned, and the main hall is a roped-off derelict. I gingerly stepped around the side of the temple where it seemed like landslides might soon engulf the ridge, and entered into the gloomy bamboo forest. This site has a sense of foreboding. There are no paths and everything is fallen bamboo and slippery earth. The hilltop does not take long to get to but caution is advised.

Gallery

Castle Profile
English Name	Daikannon Castle
Japanese Name	大観音城
Founder	Asuke Clan
Year Founded	Kamakura Period
Castle Type	Mountaintop
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Artifacts	Kuruwa, Dobashi, &c.
Features	stone walls
Visitor Information
Access	Higashi-Okazaki Station on the Meitetsu-Nagoya Line; bus to Asuke (70 mins); or, Jōsui Station on the Meitetsu-Toyota Line; Toyota City Bus (50 mins).
Visitor Information	24/7 free; mountain
Time Required	30 minutes
Website	https://blog.goo.ne.jp/shiro-rekishimeguri/e/b6efd4d5f8e476d084e032da259e505b
Location	Toyota, Aichi Prefecture
Coordinates	35° 8' 27.49" N, 137° 19' 25.18" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2024
Contributor	ART
Admin Year Visited	Viewer Contributed
Friends of JCastle
Jōkaku Hōrōki
Jōshi Meguri Bibōroku
Jōkaku Shashin Kiroku
Shiro Rekishi Meguri