Fujimaki Castle

History

Fujimakijō was the fortified residence of the Fujimaki Clan, related to the Hirota Clan who built Hirotajō to the immediate east. Hirotajō was first built by the Hirota Clan in 1400 as a simple fortified residence. The Hirota were succeeded by the Fujimaki Clan who built their own residence immediately to the west. However, these initial medieval residences appear to have been abandoned before Takeda Shingen conquered the area. Both the Hirota and Fujimaki joined Uesugi Kenshin in opposing Takeda Shingen, including at Kawanakajima. Takeda vassal Ôbinata Naonaga became castellan of Hirotajō from 1555 and expanded the fortifications into several rings of defences for use during the Kawanakajima campaigns.

Visit Notes

Fujimakijō is a hirajiro (flatland castle) site in Tamaki village, Inasato Township, Nagano Municipality. The site is conflated with that of Hirotajō which is directly east. The site today is now a temple, Tōshōji, and ruins of dorui (earthen ramparts) remain. It would be easy to conclue that the temple, today surrounded by a road like a moat - and cemetery plots, stands exactly where did a fortified residence. It appears that the temple was originally wholly surrounded by dorui, and so these must be the remains of the residence - a small residence - of which only a segment of dorui survives in the north.

However, under the aegis of Takeda Shingen, Hirotajō was expanded, and these expansions may have incorporated extant fortifications at Fujimakijō into an outer bailey space. One gets the impression of two fortified residences rather than of a vast fortification here. Fujimakijō's exact relationship with Hirotajō remains something of a mystery to me.

Gallery

Dorui (earthen ramparts) and ishigaki

Castle Profile
English Name	Fujimaki Castle
Japanese Name	藤牧城
Founder	Fujimaki Clan
Year Founded	After 1400
Castle Type	Flatland
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Artifacts	Dorui
Features
Visitor Information
Access	Imai Station on the Shin'etsu Main Line; 35 minute walk
Visitor Information	24/7 free; temple
Time Required	30 minutes
Website	https://henrilesidaner.hatenablog.com/entry/2017/11/30/143935
Location	Nagano, Nagano Prefecture
Coordinates	36° 35' 42.76" N, 138° 10' 16.00" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2023
Contributor	ART
Admin Year Visited	Viewer Contributed

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