Oriji Castle
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History
Orijijō was built in 1335 by Tominaga Hangorō to protect the nearby Noda-yakata, his new residence. From that time, immediately proceeding the fall of the Kamakura Shogunate, the fort belonged to the Tominaga Clan, but their territory was encroached upon in the Sengoku period, and when the last Tominaga lord died from his own hand, the clan controlled only four small villages. Orijijō was abandoned in 1506.
Visit Notes
Orijijō is a gakejiro (clifftop castle) ruin in Noda Township, Shinshiro Municipality. The fort is partially surrounded by dorui (earthen ramparts). A crank road descends the hillside but it is unclear whether this road dates to the time of the fort (the seemingly random ishigaki here certainly doesn't).
The interior of the fort is quite curious. It seemed to me like a cemetery, but not a usual one, and the only cenotaphs there being were very old, and elsewhere there were only loamy plots which I avoided treading upon. This may be because the site was used for dosō (interment) of the deceased, which is not common in Japan because most people are cremated after death. Cremation is often a de facto requirement, and the cremation rate is over 99.9%. However, dosō was still practiced up until a few decades ago in some rural areas, and this may be one of them. Technically most Japanese cemeteries are memorial parks full of cenotaphs, often quite densely arranged; practically speaking a graveyard is less space efficient, so due to this, in addition to Buddhist traditions of cremation, these types of necropoli are rare in Japan.
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Oriji Castle |
| Japanese Name | 下り地城 |
| Founder | Tominaga Hangorō |
| Year Founded | 1335 |
| Castle Type | Hilltop |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Artifacts | Dorui |
| Features | trenches |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Nodajō Station on the Iida Line; 10 minute walk |
| Visitor Information | 24/7 free; fields |
| Time Required | 20 minutes |
| Location | Shinshiro, Aichi Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 34° 53' 14.71" N, 137° 29' 4.02" E |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2024 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Jōkaku Shashin Kiroku | |
| Umoreta Kojō | |
| Jōshi Meguri Bibōroku | |
| Oshiro Tabi Nikki | |
| Shiseki Yawa | |
| Yogo | |
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