* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Sagaki Kuniyoshi Castle
佐柿国吉城
- Lord
- Awaya Katsuhisa (founder); Kimura Sadamitsu
- Era
- Traditionally said to have been built in 1556 (Kōji 2) by Awaya Katsuhisa; said to have been abandoned in 1615 (Genna 1) or in 1635 (Kan'ei 11)
- Designation
- Designated a Mihama Town Historic Site; Continuation of the 100 Fine Castles of Japan (No. 139, selected April 6, 2017)
- Location
- Sagaki, Mihama Town, Mikata District, Fukui Prefecture
- Access
- About a 25-minute walk from Mihama Station on the JR Obama Line to the Wakasa Kuniyoshi Castle History Museum (or a 5-minute walk from the "Sagakiguchi" bus stop), then roughly a 30-minute hike one-way to the main enclosure.
Sagaki Kuniyoshi Castle is a historic castle in the Chūbu region (Traditionally said to have been built in 1556 (Kōji 2) by Awaya Katsuhisa; said to have been abandoned in 1615 (Genna 1) or in 1635 (Kan'ei 11)). Its lord was Awaya Katsuhisa (founder); Kimura Sadamitsu.
Overview
Overview
Sagaki Kuniyoshi Castle is a mountain castle built in the mountains of Sagaki, Mihama Town, Mikata District, Fukui Prefecture. Positioned as a "border castle" on the boundary between Wakasa Province and Echizen Province, it is known from the Sengoku period as a strong fortress where Awaya Katsuhisa, a senior retainer of the Wakasa Takeda clan, repeatedly repelled invasions by the Asakura clan of Echizen. As the power of the Wakasa Takeda clan declined, Katsuhisa defended the castle independently as a local lord. He later allied himself with the Oda regime and established a firm position in eastern Wakasa.
History and Succession of Lords
The castle is traditionally said to have been built in 1556 (Kōji 2) by Awaya Katsuhisa, a senior retainer of the Wakasa Takeda clan. From 1563 (Eiroku 6) to 1569 (Eiroku 12), the Asakura clan of Echizen invaded Wakasa almost every year. Each time, Katsuhisa held out under siege at Kuniyoshi Castle and drove them back. These struggles were later recorded in the "Kuniyoshi-jō Rōjō-ki" (Record of the Siege of Kuniyoshi Castle). In 1570 (Genki 1), when Oda Nobunaga campaigned against the Asakura clan in Echizen, he entered this castle and used it as his headquarters. He is said to have praised Katsuhisa for his many years of military service. From 1583 (Tenshō 11), Kimura Sadamitsu became lord of the castle and rebuilt the castle, which had originally been made of earth, into one built with stone walls. The castle is said to have been abandoned in 1615 (Genna 1), or at the time Sakai Tadakatsu became lord of Obama Domain in 1635 (Kan'ei 11).
Structure
Located near Tsubaki Pass, a key transportation route linking Wakasa and Echizen, the residential compound at the foot of the mountain retains earthen ramparts, stone walls, stone-lined drainage channels, and building foundation stones. This suggests it served as the everyday base in peacetime. The upper stronghold on the mountain includes an outer enclosure (the former second bailey) surrounded by earthen ramparts over 2 meters high. It also includes the former main enclosure, which had flat-ground gates (hira-koguchi) at two locations, on the east and northwest, and some of its stone walls remain. On the northwestern ridge, a renkaku-shiki (linked enclosure) arrangement of five enclosures connected in a stepped layout can be confirmed. Stone walls were also partially used after the renovation by Kimura Sadamitsu. As a remnant of a representative Sengoku-period mountain castle of eastern Wakasa, the site still conveys its appearance today.
Present Condition
Selected as No. 139 in the Continuation of the 100 Fine Castles of Japan, the Wakasa Kuniyoshi Castle History Museum stands at the foot of the mountain on the former site of the Sagaki magistrate's office. The museum displays historical materials related to the castle and the Wakasa Takeda clan. The hiking trail from the museum to the main enclosure takes about 30 minutes one way. The site is preserved as a Mihama Town designated historic site.
Highlights
- Traditionally built in 1556 by Awaya Katsuhisa as a border fortress between Wakasa and Echizen
- Renowned for the sieges in which Katsuhisa repeatedly repelled Asakura clan invasions in the 1560s
- Used by Oda Nobunaga as his base of operations during his 1570 campaign against the Asakura
- Rebuilt with stone walls under Kimura Sadamitsu after originally being an earthen fortification
- Selected as No. 139 in the Continuation of the 100 Fine Castles of Japan; the Wakasa Kuniyoshi Castle History Museum stands at its foot
* Opening hours and admission fees are subject to change. Please check the official website before visiting.