Maruyama Noutou Castle
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History
Maruyama-Nōtōjō was a fort of the Maruyama Clan. Maruyama Nakatsukasa and his son led the 1465 Nukata County Rōnin Rebellion against the Kamakura-bakufu. They were besieged at Inokuchi Fort and killed there by Matsudaira Nobumitsu. The ruins of Nōtōjō appear to date to a later time after Naruse Kunitsugu, a vassal of Matsudaira Hirotada, became lord of the castle in 1572. Castellans also included Sakakibara Shikibu and Kawasumi Bunsuke.
Visit Notes
Maruyama-Nōtōjō is a hilltop castle ruin located on a promontory and cliff terrace surrounded by a bend in the Oto River. The scene of the waters of the river beneath the cliff on which the fort’s main bailey sits is charming. To reach the fort there are two paths, one from below and above. It seems the path is used as a shortcut by locals, because I met one here when I wasn’t expecting to see anyone in the early morning; actually he was a German gentleman (whom I obliged to speak English), and I pointed out the remains of the fortifications to him. I came from the above path where there is a shrine, Shinmeigū. There is a kofun (ancient burial mound) here, and the ruins of the fort can be found by taking the path from here. The most prominent features of the fort are found along this path where there is a trench and earthen ramparts sectioning off the small peninsula. Castle fans can’t fail to notice these earthworks, but the uninitiated, as we found out, could pass many times and be none the wiser; that’s the scale we’re talking about here. It seems there was also a horikiri (trench) immediately preceding the small bailey space, but this is now part of the walking path. The fort was quite small, but had an easy-to-defend position overlooking the river bend.
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Maruyama Noutou Castle |
| Japanese Name | 丸山能頭城 |
| Founder | Maruyama Clan |
| Year Founded | Before 1465 |
| Castle Type | Mountaintop |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Artifacts | Horikiri, Dorui, &c. |
| Features | trenches |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Miai Station on the Meitetsu Nagoya Line; 30 minute walk to trail |
| Visitor Information | 24/7 free; mountain |
| Time Required | 20 minutes |
| Location | Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 34° 56' 7.04" N, 137° 12' 40.43" E |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2023 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Jōkaku Shashin Kiroku | |
| Umoreta Kojō | |
| Aichi Shiro | |
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