Nanao Castle (Iwami)
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Nanao Castle (Iwami)
was a Muromachi period ''yamajiro''-stype Japanese castle located in what is now the city of Masuda, Shimane Prefecture, in the San'in region of western Japan. Its ruins been protected by the central government as a National Historic Site since 2004 together with the Miyake Odoi fortified residence as the "Masuda clan fortification ruins". Overview Nanao Castle is located on the top of Mount Shiroyama, a 120-meter hill overlooking the Hamada Plain at the estuary of the Takatsu and Masuda Rivers in western Shimane prefecture. It is the largest of the four coastal plains in former Iwami Province. The castle is located on a strategic point controlling the junction of the ancient San'indō highway and the Kitaura Kaigō (leading towards Hagi) and Masuda port on the Sea of Japan. At the start of the Kamakura period, the nominal ''shugo'' of Iwami Province was the Mikimoto clan, a cadet branch of the Fujiwara clan, whose stronghold was at Hamada. The Mikimoto supported Minamoto no Y ...
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Masuda, Shimane
is a Cities of Japan, city located in Shimane Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 43,885 in 21,249 households and a population density of 60 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Masuda is located on the western edge of Honshu, facing the Sea of Japan to the north and the Chugoku Mountains to the south and is bordered by Yamaguchi Prefecture to the west and Hiroshima Prefecture to the southwest. The city has the largest geographic area among municipalities in Shimane Prefecture. The urban center is on a narrow floodplain between the Takatsu River and the Masuda River. Parts of the southern region of the city are within the borders of the Nishi-Chugoku Sanchi Quasi-National Park. Neighboring municipalities Hiroshima Prefecture *Akiōta, Hiroshima, Akiōta *Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima, Hatsukaichi *Kitahiroshima, Hiroshima, Kitahiroshima Shimane Prefecture *Hamada, Shimane, Hamada *Tsuwano, Shimane, Tsuwano *Yoshika, Shimane, Yoshika Yama ...
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Hamada, Shimane
is a city located in Shimane Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 50,176 in 25498 households and a population density of 73 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Hamada is located in central Shimane, facing the Sea of Japan to the north and the Chugoku Mountains to the south. Neighboring municipalities Hiroshima Prefecture * Kitahiroshima Shimane Prefecture * Gōtsu * Masuda * Ōnan Climate Hamada has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification ''Cfa''). It experiences a wide range in temperature between summer and winter but due to its location it is saved from the extreme winter cold in the north and prolonged summer heat in the south. In summer the temperature gets as high as with high humidity and in winter it can drop to . The coastal main city of Hamada occasionally gets snowfall in the winter. The mountainous areas of Hamada inland to the east receive high levels of snowfall and are home to some of the b ...
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Mōri Motonari
was a prominent ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) in the western Chūgoku region of Japan during the Sengoku period of the 16th century. The Mōri clan claimed descent from Ōe no Hiromoto (大江広元), an adviser to Minamoto no Yoritomo. Motonari was called the "Beggar Prince". He was known as a great strategist who began as a small local warlord (''jizamurai'') of Aki Province and extended his clan's power to nearly all of the Chūgoku region through war, marriage, adoption and assassination. Sandwiched between the powerful Amago clan, Amago and Ōuchi clans, Motonari led his clan by carefully balancing actions and diplomacy. Eventually, Motonari succeeded in defeating both and controlled the entire Chūgoku region. In his later years, he crushed the Ōtomo clan of Bungo Province in Kyūshū. Motonari ruled from Yoshida-Kōriyama Castle, the clan's main bastion since the early 14th century. His descendants became lords of the Chōshū Domain. Early life Mōri Motonari was born on ...
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Sue Harukata
was a samurai who served as a senior retainer of the Ōuchi clan in the Sengoku period in Japan. He was the second son of Sue Okifusa, a senior retainer of the Ōuchi clan. His childhood name was Goro, and he previously had the name Takafusa (). Biography Harukata was born to the Sue clan (derived from Sue pottery), which was related to the Ōuchi clan, and served as shugodai of Suō Province. As a boy, he served Ōuchi Yoshitaka was the ''daimyō'' of Suō Province and the head of the Ōuchi clan, succeeding Ōuchi Yoshioki. In 1522, he fought the Amago clan along with his father, Yoshioki, to win the control of Aki Province. Upon Yoshioki's death in 1528, Yoshit ..., a childhood friend. After '' genpuku'', he was given the name Takafusa after Ōuchi Yoshitaka. In 1539, after his father Okifusa died of illness, he became the head of the Sue clan. Being an able retainer, he became known as the Samurai General Without Peer in the Western Provinces (''Saigoku-m ...
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Ōuchi Yoshitaka
was the ''daimyō'' of Suō Province and the head of the Ōuchi clan, succeeding Ōuchi Yoshioki. In 1522, he fought the Amago clan along with his father, Yoshioki, to win the control of Aki Province. Upon Yoshioki's death in 1528, Yoshitaka became the head of Ōuchi clan. In the 1530s, he led military actions in the northern Kyūshū, defeating Shōni clan to win control of the area. With his back then secure, in 1540 he again started combating the Amago clan and by 1541, managed to completely control the Aki province. However, in 1542, an invasion into Izumo Province ended in a disaster, with Yoshitaka losing his adopted son Ōuchi Harumochi along with large number of troops against Amago Haruhisa. His 1542–43 Siege of Toda Castle ended in failure. He completely lost his ambitions of expanding his domains and devoted his energy to the arts and culture. His retainers split into two factions. Those led by Sagara Taketō wanted the Ōuchi clan to simply do nothin ...
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Gassantoda Castle
was a Sengoku period ''yamajiro''-style Japanese castle located in Izumo Province, in what is now part of the city of Yasugi, Shimane Prefecture in the San'in region of far western Japan. Its ruins have been protected by the central government as a National Historic Site since 1934. Gassantoda Castle was built using the whole of Gassan's ridges and valleys, and is regarded as one of the five largest and most important medieval mountain castles along with Kasugayama Castle ( Niigata), Nanao Castle ( Ishikawa), Odani Castle and Kannonji Castle (Shiga). History Gassan Toda Castle (月山富田城) is located on Gassan, which is 180 meters tall some 20 kilometers from the mouth of the Hirose River at eastern edge of current Shimane prefecture. The area was an important center from ancient times for the production of ''tatara'' steel, which was essential in the production of Japanese swords, and Gassan occupies a central location in the transportation routes of Izumo Province. Dur ...
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Izumo Province
was an Old provinces of Japan, old province of Japan which today consists of the eastern part of Shimane Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province is in the Chūgoku region. History During the early Kofun period (3rd century) this region was independent and constructed rectangular tumuli. But in the fourth century this region saw the construction of rectangular and key shaped tumuli. During the 6th or 7th century it was absorbed due to the expansion of the state of Yamato Province, Yamato, within which it assumed the role of a sacerdotal domain. Today, the Izumo Shrine constitutes (as does the Grand Shrine of Ise) one of the most important sacred places of Shinto: it is dedicated to ''kami'', especially to Ōkuninushi (''Ō-kuni-nushi-no-mikoto''), mythical progeny of Susanoo and all the clans of Izumo. The mythological mother of Japan, the goddess Izanami, is said to be buried on Mt. Hiba, at the border of the old provinces of Izumo and Hōki Province, Hōki, near mo ...
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Amago Clan
The , descended from the Emperor Uda (868–897) by the Kyogoku clan, descending from the Sasaki clan (Uda Genji). Kyogoku Takahisa in the 14th century, lived in Amako-go (Izumo Province), and took the name 'Amago'. The family crest is also that of the Kyogoku clan. They were Shugodai (vice-Governors) of Izumo and Oki provinces for generations, for the Kyogoku Shugo branch, and their seat was Gassan Toda castle. In 1484, Amago Tsunehisa (1458–1541), was deprived of the position of Shugodai by Kyogoku Masatsune, who was the Shugo, because he did not obey the request of tax from the Muromachi bakufu, and was expelled from Gassan Toda castle. Although Enya Kamonnosuke was dispatched to Gassan Toda castle as the new Shugodai, Tsunehisa recaptured Gassan Toda castle by a surprise attack in 1486, took control of Izumo, and developed the Amago clan into a Sengoku Daimyo clan. The Amago fought the Ōuchi clan or the Mōri clan (who had been among their vassals), during Japan's Se ...
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Tsuwano, Shimane
is a List of towns in Japan, town located in Kanoashi District, Shimane, Kanoashi District, Shimane Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 6,657 in 3352 households and a population density of 22 persons per km². The total area of the town is . Popularly called the "Little Kyoto of San'in," Tsuwano is known for its picturesque main street, "Tono-machi," which is an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Building lined with Edo period buildings and Koi ponds. Its annual ''Yabusame'' festival on the second Sunday of April is a large tourist draw for the San'in region. Geography Tsuwano is located in southwest Shimane Prefecture. The townscape that spreads out in a small basin between the mountains on a narrow flat land along the Tsuwano River. Neighboring municipalities Shimane Prefecture *Masuda, Shimane, Masuda *Yoshika, Shimane, Yoshika Yamaguchi Prefecture *Hagi, Yamaguchi, Hagi *Yamaguchi (city), Yamaguchi Climate Tsuwano has a h ...
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Kyushu
is the third-largest island of Japan's Japanese archipelago, four main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa Island, Okinawa and the other Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Ryukyu Islands, Islands). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands. Kyushu has a land area of and a population of 14,311,224 in 2018. In ancient times, there is a theory that Kyushu was home to its own independent dynasty, where a unique, southern-influenced culture and tradition distinct from that of Honshu flourished. In the 8th-century Taihō Code reforms, Dazaifu (government), Dazaifu was established as a special administrative term for the region. Geography The island is mountainous, and Japan's most active volcano, Mount Aso at , is on Kyūshū. There are many other signs of tectonic activity, including numerous areas of hot springs. The most famous of these are in Beppu, ...
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Nagato Province
, often called , was a province of Japan. It was at the extreme western end of Honshū, in the area that is today Yamaguchi Prefecture. Nagato bordered on Iwami and Suō Provinces. History Although the ancient capital of the province was Shimonoseki, Hagi was the seat of the Chōshū '' han'' (fief or domain) during the Edo period. Nagato was ruled by the Mōri clan before and after the Battle of Sekigahara. In 1871 with the abolition of feudal domains and the establishment of prefectures (''Haihan Chiken'') after the Meiji Restoration, the provinces of Nagato and Suō were combined to eventually establish Yamaguchi Prefecture. At the same time, the province continued to exist for some purposes. For example, Nagato is explicitly recognized in treaties in 1894 (a) between Japan and the United States and (b) between Japan and the United Kingdom. Historically, the oligarchy that came into power after the Meiji Restoration of 1868 had a strong representation from the Chōshū ...
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