| Namioka Castle | |
|---|---|
浪岡城 | |
| Aomori,Aomori Prefecture,Japan | |
 Site of Namioka Castle | |
| Site information | |
| Type | hirayama-styleJapanese castle |
| Open to the public | yes (museum on site) |
| Condition | ruins |
| Location | |
  Namioka Castle  Namioka Castle | |
| Coordinates | 40°43′04″N140°36′17″E / 40.71778°N 140.60472°E /40.71778; 140.60472 |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1373 |
| Built by | Kitabatake clan |
| In use | Nanboku-cho period |
| Demolished | 1578 |
Namioka Castle (浪岡城,Namioka jō) was aMuromachi periodJapanese castle located in what is now the city ofAomori,Aomori Prefecture, in theTōhoku region of far northern Japan. The ruins were designated aNational Historic Site in 1940 by the Japanese government.[1]
Namioka Castle is located on afluvial terrace of the Namioka River, in formerNamioka town, south of the center of Aomori city. The location is roughly long and narrow diamond which commands a central location to cover the entry to the Tsugaru Plain from the east.
The castle consisted of eightmotte-and-baileyenclosures, approximately 800 meters long by 800 meters wide. The Kitayakata (North Residence) served as theinner bailey, and did not contain atenshu. The outer enclosures included the Nishiyakata (West Residence), Higashiyakata (East Residence), Uchiyakata (Inner Residence), Shinyakata (New Residence), etc.
As was typical for the time, each enclosure had its own fortifications, which consisted primarily of woodenpalisades and earthenramparts, guarded by a double moat directly connected to the Namioka River. The moats were 20 meters wide by 5 meter deep. Thejōkamachi contained streets built in a grid pattern similar to that ofKyoto
Namioka Castle was constructed around 1373, during the earlyNanboku-chō period, by theNamioka-Kitabatake clan. During the struggles betweenEmperor Go-Daigo andAshikaga Takauji,Kitabatake Akiie, who had been sent to rule northern Japan fromTaga Castle was appointedChinjufu-shōgun. In December 1335, Kitabatake Akiie and his fatherKitabatake Chikafusa drove Ashikaga Takauji fromKyoto toKyushu. However, Takauji was able to raise a new army the following year, and after defeating Emperor Go-Daigo at theBattle of Minatogawa, was able to drive him into exile inYoshino. Kitabatake Akiie was subsequently defeated by the forces ofKō no Moronao at theBattle of Ishizu in 1338. His younger brother, Kitabatake Akinobu was also unable to hold Taga Castle and other strongholds against the victorious Ashikaga forces and fled to the far north ofHonshū, seeking the protection of theNanbu clan based atSannohe Castle and theAndō clan who controlledTosaminato on theSea of Japan and changed his family name to “Namioka”.
In 1562, during theSengoku period, there was an internal conflict within the Namioka clan, in which Namioka Tomokazu (1532-1562) was killed. Although the revolt was suppressed, the weakened Namioka clan was unable to resist an attack in 1578 byOura Tamenobu, who had seized the Tsugaru region and declared independence from the Nanbu. The castle was abandoned soon thereafter.
In 1940 the site of Namioka Castle was proclaimed aNational Historic Site with a designated area of approximately 136,300 square meters (1.2 km east–west, 600 m north–south). The site of the castle remains in ruins, with only about 30 percent excavated; however, public access is permitted and there is a museum at the site. Recovered artifacts number more than 50,000 items such as tableware, cooking utensils, weapons, farming tools, and religious implements. The ruins are approximately a 20 minute walk from theJR EastNamioka Station.
The castle was listed as one of theContinued Top 100 Japanese Castles in 2017.[2]
