Kanegasaki Castle
金ヶ崎城
Kanegasaki Castle is a historic castle in 福井県 dating from the Late Heian period to the Sengoku period, whose lord was Taira no Michimori; Nitta Yoshisada; the Kai clan; the Asakura clan (hereditary Tsuruga district governors).
Overview
Overview
Kanegasaki Castle stood on a hill about 86 meters above sea level jutting into Tsuruga Bay, in present-day Kanegasaki-cho, Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture. Tradition holds that Taira no Michimori first built a fortification here during the Jisho–Juei War to fight Kiso Yoshinaka, and the site was repeatedly contested from the Nanboku-cho period through the Sengoku period. It was designated a National Historic Site in 1934.
The Nanboku-cho Siege
In 1336, Emperor Go-Daigo, seeking to restore Southern Court power, ordered Nitta Yoshisada to escort Imperial Princes Takanaga and Tsuneyoshi north to the Hokuriku region together with his brother Wakiya Yoshisuke. Before leaving Mt. Hiei, Yoshisada is said to have dedicated the Nitta clan's heirloom sword Onikiri to the Hiyoshi Sanno Shrine, then proceeded to Tsuruga and garrisoned Kanegasaki Castle. In the spring of 1337, the castle fell to a fierce assault led by the Ashikaga commander Ko no Moroyasu; Prince Takanaga took his own life, and Prince Tsuneyoshi was captured and reportedly poisoned the following year.
Successive Lords
After the Nanboku-cho period, the castle was held by the Kai clan, deputy shugo of Echizen, with Kai Tsuneharu holding it around the end of the Oei era. From 1471, when Asakura Kagefuyu was appointed district governor (gunji) of Tsuruga, the castle passed down through generations of the Asakura clan's governors.
The "Kanegasaki Retreat"
In 1570, Oda Nobunaga marched to subdue the Asakura of Echizen and forced the castle's lord, Asakura Kagetsune, to surrender. When word arrived that his ally Azai Nagamasa had betrayed him, Nobunaga's army faced the danger of being caught in a pincer attack. Nobunaga withdrew his entire force, and the episode became famous as the "Kanegasaki Retreat" (Kanegasaki Kuzure).
Structure and Present Condition
Remains within the castle grounds include the site of the Tsukimi-goten (main enclosure), gate ruins, terraces, and dry moats. The site is now maintained as a park, and Kanegasaki-gu Shrine, founded in 1890, stands within the grounds, enshrining Princes Takanaga and Tsuneyoshi who perished at the castle's fall.
Connection to Swords
Nitta Yoshisada is said to have dedicated the Nitta clan's heirloom sword Onikiri to the Hiyoshi Sanno Shrine on his way north to Tsuruga, and tradition also holds that he carried Onimaru Kunitsuna, one of the Tenka Goken ("Five Swords Under Heaven"), which he had obtained from the Hojo clan after the fall of the Kamakura shogunate, during the campaign that brought him to Kanegasaki.
Connection to Swords
Nitta Yoshisada is said to have dedicated the Nitta clan's heirloom sword Onikiri to the Hiyoshi Sanno Shrine on his way north, and tradition holds he carried Onimaru Kunitsuna, one of the Tenka Goken ('Five Swords Under Heaven'), obtained from the Hojo clan after the fall of Kamakura, during the campaign to Kanegasaki.
Highlights
- Tsukimi-goten site (main enclosure)
- Kanegasaki-gu Shrine
- Site associated with the 'Kanegasaki Retreat'
* Opening hours and admission fees are subject to change. Please check the official website before visiting.