| Kunohe Castle | |
|---|---|
九戸城 | |
| Ninohe,Iwate Prefecture,Japan | |
 Remnants of dry moats at ruins of Kunohe Castle | |
| Site information | |
| Type | hirayama-styleJapanese castle |
| Open to the public | yes |
| Condition | ruins |
| Location | |
  Kunohe Castle Kunohe Castle Show map of Iwate Prefecture Kunohe Castle Kunohe Castle (Japan) Show map of Japan | |
| Coordinates | 40°16′00″N141°18′13″E / 40.26667°N 141.30361°E /40.26667; 141.30361 |
| Site history | |
| Built | Muromachi period |
| Built by | unknown |
| In use | Sengoku period |
| Demolished | 1636 |
Kunohe Castle (九戸城,Kunohe-jō) was aJapanese castle controlled by theNanbu clan located in what is now the city ofNinohe,Iwate Prefecture, in theTōhoku region of far northernJapan. It was also referred to asFukuoka Castle (福岡城,Fukuoka-jō)[1] orMiyano Castle (宮野城,Miyano-jō).
Kunohe Castle was ahirayama-style castle built on ariver terrace overlooking a junction between theMabechi River, Shiratori River and a small branch of the Shiratori River, which formed part of its natural defences to the north, west and east. The site covers an area of 340,000 square meters, making it one of the largest castle ruins in the Tōhoku region.
As with similar contemporary castles (such asNe Castle), the fortifications at Kunohe consisted of a number of dry moats, creating a number ofenclosures, each with its own earthenramparts: the main bailey, second bailey, and there smaller baileys (Matsunomaru, Ishizawadate, and Wakasadate). The entrance to the south was protected by a wide dry moat, and the area of the enclosures was over 500 square meters.
The date of the castle's foundation is unknown. The Nanbu clan was originally a branch of theTakeda clan fromKai Province and was awarded estates in the far northern Tōhoku region during theKamakura period, but actively began controlling the area after the start of theMuromachi period. The Kunohe clan was a branch of the main Nanbu clan, and extensively rebuilt pre-existing fortifications around 1492-1501 AD.[1]
Following a succession dispute in 1590, Kunohe Masazane rose in rebellion against the Nanbu Nobunao, chieftain of the main Nanbu clan, who had the backing ofToyotomi Hideyoshi. In theKunohe Rebellion of 1591, the greatly outnumbered defenders of the castle surrendered to an army led byGamō Ujisato; however, the peace terms were a ruse, and after surrendering the defenders were all massacred in the second bailey of the castle.[2]
The castle was initially rebuilt by Gamō Ujizane; however, Nanbu Naonobu chose to makeSannohe Castle his seat in 1597 and by 1636 the castle was allowed to fall into ruins.
On June 7, 1935, the ruins were proclaimed aNational Historic Site by the Japanese government.[3] The castle was listed as one of theContinued Top 100 Japanese Castles in 2017.[4]
