Jouguuji Castle

History

Jōgūji was a long-standing temple even by the middle ages, with claims of having been founded by Shōtoku-taishi. The temple was certainly in place by the early 13th century when it switched between denominations. 23rd head priest, Rengyō Ajari, brought the temple back into the Jōdoshin faith from Tendai, and the 24th head priest was a direct disciple of Shinran called Sasaki Moritsuna. The area is called Sasaki to this day, and the castle site is also known as Sasakijō.

Jōgūjijō began with the fortification of the temple in the Sengoku period. In 1562, men under Matsudaira Motoyasu (Tokugawa Ieyasu) forcefully entered the temple and stole supplies. This outraged the Mikawa-shinshū faction who rebelled against the fledgling rule of Motoyasu as he tried to unify Mikawa. A merchant was murdered at Jōgūjijō by men from Honshōjijō, after which everything quickly went to pot. The principle fortified temples of Jōgūjijō, Honshōjijō, and Shōmanjijō united to form the Mikawa Ikkō-Ikki, and began an uprising that lasted for a year and a half. Eventually the brotherhood was defeated, with its final devastation coming at the Battle of Azukizaka in 1564, and their forts, temples and dōjō were destroyed. Jōgūji was restored in 1581 as a demilitarised temple at the behest of Myōshunni, the nanny of Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Visit Notes

Jōgūjijō is a fortified temple site in Kamisasaki village, Okazaki Municipality; the fort is / was also known as Sasakijō. No fortification ruins remain, but the temple is still around, though its architecture has been modernised following a fire in 1988 during which the main hall, constructed in 1796, burnt down. Despite there being little to see, I wanted to come here to complete my visitation of a triumvirate of fortified temple sites associated with the Mikawa Ikkō-Ikki, the others being Honshouji Castle and Shoumanji Fort.

Gallery

Castle Profile
English Name	Jouguuji Castle
Japanese Name	上宮寺城
Alternate Names	Sasakijō
Founder	Mikawa Ikkō-Ikki
Year Founded	Before 1562
Castle Type	Flatland
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Features
Visitor Information
Access	Nishi-Okazaki Station on the Tōkaidō Main Line; 10 minute walk
Visitor Information	24/7; Free; Temple
Time Required	10 minutes
Website	https://jyoguji.com/?page id=11
Location	Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture
Coordinates	34° 56' 31.45" N, 137° 7' 26.65" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2023
Contributor	ART
Admin Year Visited	Viewer Contributed
Friends of JCastle
Umoreta Kojō

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