* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Shinori-tate (Shinori Fort)
志苔館
Shinori-tate (Shinori Fort) is a historic castle in Hokkaidō dating from the Muromachi period (built during the Kōshō era, mid-15th century) to 1512, when it fell to an Ainu attack and was abandoned, whose lord was Kobayashi Yoshikage (builder, 1st head), Kobayashi Yoshisada (2nd), Kobayashi Yoshiharu (3rd).
Overview
Overview
Shinori-tate is a medieval fortified residence built on a coastal terrace in Hakodate, Hokkaido, and is one of the "Twelve Forts of Southern Hokkaido" (Dōnan Jūni-tate) — a chain of twelve strongholds built along the southern coast of the Oshima Peninsula by Wajin (ethnic Japanese) local lords. It stands at the easternmost point of the chain.
Founding and History
Tradition holds that it was built during the Kōshō era (mid-15th century) by Kobayashi Yoshikage. In 1457, it became one of the main battlegrounds of the Kōshamain War, an uprising led by the Ainu chief Kōshamain, and fell along with most of the other Dōnan Jūni-tate forts before being rebuilt. In 1512, under Yoshikage's son Yoshisada, it fell again to an Ainu attack and appears to have been abandoned thereafter. The Kobayashi family that held the fort is thought to have later come under the authority of the Matsumae domain.
Structure and Remains
Sited on a hill overlooking the sea, the fort has a roughly rectangular layout enclosed on all sides by earthen ramparts and dry moats. The ramparts measure 5–6 ken (about 9–11 m) wide and 5–10 shaku (about 1.5–3 m) high, with the western rampart built as a double line. A disused well survives within the enclosure. Excavations in 1968 uncovered a buried jar containing roughly 387,000 Chinese coins, among the largest single hoards of old coins ever found in Japan.
Present State and Access
Preserved as a National Historic Site, the fort was selected in 2017 among the Continuation of Japan's Top 100 Castles (No. 101). The site is now maintained as a historic park. About a 5-minute walk from the "Shinori" bus stop on the Hakodate Bus Shimo-kaigan Line.
Connection to Swords
Highlights
- Easternmost of the "Twelve Forts of Southern Hokkaido" along the Oshima Peninsula coast
- One of the main battlegrounds of the 1457 Kōshamain War
- A 1968 excavation uncovered roughly 387,000 Chinese coins, among the largest coin hoards found in Japan
- National Historic Site; selected in 2017 among the Continuation of Japan's Top 100 Castles (No. 101)
* Opening hours and admission fees are subject to change. Please check the official website before visiting.