was a

Sengoku period The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...

Japanese castle are fortresses constructed primarily of wood and stone. They evolved from the wooden stockades of earlier centuries and came into their best-known form in the 16th century. Castles in Japan were built to guard important or strategic sites, such a ...

located in what is now the Kasuga-cho neighborhood of the city of Tamba

Hyōgo Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Hyōgo Prefecture has a population of 5,469,762 () and a geographic area of . Hyōgo Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the east, Osaka Prefecture to th ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. It was also called or . Famous as the birthplace of

Lady Kasuga was a Japanese noble lady and politician from a prominent Japanese samurai family of the Azuchi–Momoyama and Edo periods. Born Saitō Fuku (斉藤福), she was a daughter of Saitō Toshimitsu (who was a retainer of Akechi Mitsuhide). She w ...

, the wet nurse of

Tokugawa Iemitsu was the third ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate, Tokugawa dynasty. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada with Oeyo, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Lady Kasuga was his wet nurse, who acted as his political adviser and was at the ...

, it ruins have been protected as a National Historic Site since 1989.

History

Kuroi Castle is located on a 350-meter mountain at the middle of Hikami basin, protected on three sides by rivers. the valley is a cul-de-sac to the northwest of the Sasayama basin, which contained

Sasayama Castle is an early Edo Period Japanese castle located in the city of Tamba-Sasayama, Hyōgo, Japan. It ruins have been protected as a National Historic Site since 1956. History Sasayama Castle is located at the center of Tamba-Sasayama city. The S ...

. Spreading across three ridges of the mountain, the castle was one of the largest in

Tanba Province was a province of Japan in the area of central Kyoto and east-central Hyōgo Prefectures. Tanba bordered on Harima, Ōmi, Settsu, Tajima. Tango, Wakasa, and Yamashiro provinces. Its abbreviated form name was . In terms of the Gokishichid ...

, along with

Yakami Castle was a Sengoku period Japanese castle located in what is now part of the city of Tamba-Sasayama Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Its ruins have been protected as a National Historic Site since 2005. The castle was one of the largest in Tanba Province, ...

and

Yagi Castle 270px, Aerial photograph showing the relative locations of the old castle, new castle and Kamakura-period mansion is a late Kamakura period Japanese castle located in the Yōka neighborhood of the city of Yabu, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Its rui ...

. A fortification was originally built in this location in the early

Muromachi period The , also known as the , is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate ( or ), which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi ...

by the Akamatsu clan, who ruled the area for around 120 years. It then came into the hands of the Ogino clan, a cadet branch of the Akai clan, who in turn were a cadet branch of the

Inoue clan The was a samurai clan which came to prominence from the late Kamakura through Edo periods in Japanese history, descending from the Seiwa Genji. Mention of an Inoue surname is found in Nara period records; however, the Inoue clan which later be ...

, originally from

Shinano Province or is an old province of Japan that is now Nagano Prefecture. Shinano bordered Echigo, Etchū, Hida, Kai, Kōzuke, Mikawa, Mino, Musashi, Suruga, and Tōtōmi Provinces. The ancient capital was located near modern-day Matsumoto, whi ...

. Originally a minor clan, in the Sengoku period, as the power of the

Hosokawa clan The is a Japanese samurai kin group or Japanese clan, clan. The clan descends from the Seiwa Genji, a branch of the Minamoto clan, and ultimately from Emperor Seiwa, through the Ashikaga clan. It produced many prominent officials in the Ashikaga ...

, the ''

shugo , commonly translated as ' ilitarygovernor', 'protector', or 'constable', was a title given to certain officials in feudal Japan. They were each appointed by the shogun to oversee one or more of the provinces of Japan. The position gave way to th ...

'' of Tajima province and the Naito clan, the deputy ''shugo'' both waned due to internal conflicts and the aftermaths of the

Onin War Onin may refer to: * Ōnin, a Japanese era ** Ōnin War * Onin peninsula, on the Bomberai Peninsula of Indonesian Papua * Onin language, an Austronesian language spoken on the peninsula {{Disambiguation ...

, the Akai clan expanded rapidly under its aggressive new chieftain,

Akai Naomasa was a Japanese samurai leader of the Sengoku period.Ōta, Gyūichi ''et al.'' (2011)''The Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga,'' p. 323 n32 He was known for his bravery and skill as a warrior, so his nickname became 'red Oni (demon) of Tamba Province'. N ...

. Known as the "Red Demon" of Tanba, Akai Naomasa seized Kuroi Castle in 1554 by killing his grand-uncle, and over the next ten years expanded his holdings through marriage alliances, open warfare and stratagem to control the western half of the province. Using Kuroi Castle as his stronghold, he substantially expanded on its defenses. In 1570, Akai Naomasa dove back an invasion from the

Yamana clan The was a Japanese samurai clan which was one of the most powerful of the Muromachi period (1336–1467); at its peak, members of the family held the position of Constable ('' shugo'') over eleven provinces. Originally from Kōzuke Province, an ...

, ''shugo'' of

Tajima Province was a Provinces of Japan, province of Japan in the area of northern Hyōgo Prefecture. Tajima bordered on Tango Province, Tango and Tanba Province, Tanba to the east, Harima Province, Harima to the south, and Inaba Province, Inaba to the west. ...

, and in his counterattack invaded Tajima and seized

Takeda Castle was a Sengoku period Japanese castle located in the Wadayama neighborhood of the city of Asago, in the northern part of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. It is located north of Himeji, and north-west of Kyoto, and is situated some 353 metres above sea ...

and

Konosumiyama Castle was a Muromachi to Sengoku period Japanese castle located in the Izushi neighborhood of the city of Toyooka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Its ruins, along with the ruins of nearby Arikoyama Castle have been protected as a National Historic Sit ...

. The Yamane clan had pledge fealty to

Oda Nobunaga was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He was the and regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. He is sometimes referred as the "Demon Daimyō" and "Demo ...

, and these events made Nobunaga wary of the aggressiveness of the Akai clan. However, Nobunaga was tied down in conflict with the

Takeda clan The was a Japanese samurai clan active from the late Heian period until the late 16th century. The clan was historically based in Kai Province in present-day Yamanashi Prefecture. The clan reached its greatest influence under the rule of Taked ...

of Kai Province and it was not until his victory at the

Battle of Nagashino The was a famous battle in History of Japan, Japanese history, fought in 1575 at Nagashino Castle, Nagashino in Mikawa Province (present-day Nagashino, Shinshiro, Aichi Prefecture). The allied forces of Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu (38,000) ...

in 1575 that he was able to turn his attention toTanba Province. Nobunaga ordered his general,

Akechi Mitsuhide , first called Jūbei from his clan and later from his title, was a Japanese ''samurai'' general of the Sengoku period. Mitsuhide was originally a bodyguard of the last Ashikaga shogunate, Ashikaga ''shōgun'' Ashikaga Yoshiaki and later, one of ...

to take control of the province. Mitsuhide attempted diplomacy and won over a number of the smaller local lords to his side; however, the Akai were adamant in their opposition, and Mitsuhide was forced to lay siege to Kuroi Castle for two months in the winter of 1575. In the early spring of 1576, Mitsuhide's forces were attacked from behind by

Hatano Hideharu Hatano Hideharu (波多野秀治 ''Hatano Hideharu'', 1541 – June 25, 1579) was the eldest son of Hatano Harumichi and the head of Hatano clan. He was a son of Harumichi, but for an unknown reason, he was adopted as a son by Hatano Mo ...

and he was forced to retreat back to

Sakamoto Castle was a lakeside castle in the Sengoku period, located in Ōtsu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. Akechi Mitsuhide was the commander of the castle. History After the Siege of Mount Hiei, Sakamoto was given to Akechi Mitsuhide who built Sakamoto Castle ...

. Mitsuhide rebuilt his army and attacked Tanba again from March 1578, this time securing his rear by building Kinzan Castle between Kuni Castle and the Hatano stronghold of Yagami Castle to prevent a repeat of the previous campaign. Akai Naomasa died of illness soon after the start of the campaign, and with his death, the anti-Nobunaga alliance of minor lords in Tanba started to collapse.Yagami Castle fell in June 1579, and the isolated Kuroi Castle fell in August. Mitsuhide placed his general

Saitō Toshimitsu was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period and commander of Kuroi Castle. He was a retainer of Inaba Ittetsu, but later joined Akechi Mitsuhide. Oda Nobunaga was not pleased that Toshimitsu chose to work under Mitsuhide, and if not for Mits ...

in charge of Kuroi Castle, and as the area as still threatened by Tajima Province, he had the defenses modernized with stone walls and extended. In 1580,

Hashiba Hidenaga , formerly known as or . He was a half-brother of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the most powerful and significant warlords of Japan's Sengoku period and regarded as 'Hideyoshi's brain and right-arm'. Life Hidenaga was also known by his court tit ...

, the younger brother of

Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods and regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: ...

seized Tajima Province, expelling the Yamana clan and eliminating the threat to Kuroi Castle. In 1582, Mitsuhide staged his coup against Nobunaga (the

Honnō-ji Incident The was the assassination of Japanese daimyo Oda Nobunaga at Honnō-ji, a temple in Kyoto, on 21 June 1582 (2nd day of the sixth month, Tenshō 10). Nobunaga was on the verge of unifying the country, but died in the unexpected rebellion of ...

). Saitō Toshimitsu was opposed and went with the plan somewhat reluctantly, and was captured and executed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi after Mitsuhide was defeated by Hideyoshi at the

Battle of Yamazaki The was fought in 1582 in Yamazaki, Japan, located in current-day Kyoto Prefecture. This battle is sometimes referred to as the Battle of Mt. Tennō (天王山の戦い ''Tennō-zan no tatakai''). In the Honnō-ji Incident, Akechi Mitsuhide, ...

. Toshimitsu's daughter, Fuku (1579-1643), was born at the Saitō residence at Kuroi Castle, survived and married with Inaba Masashige. She later became

wet nurse A wet nurse is a woman who breastfeeding, breastfeeds and cares for another's child. Wet nurses are employed if the mother dies, if she is unable to nurse the child herself sufficiently or chooses not to do so. Wet-nursed children may be known a ...

and was named

after the location of Kuroi Castle. After Saitō Toshimitsu's death,Hideyoshi entrusted the castle to

Horio Yoshiharu was a Japanese ''daimyō'' during the Azuchi–Momoyama and Edo periods. He was appointed to the position of one of san-''chūrō'' (three arbiters) by Toyotomi Hideyoshi along with Ikoma Chikamasa and Nakamura Kazuuji. He was the first ...

, but in 1583 he was transferred to

Wakasa Province was a province of Japan in the area that is today the southwestern portion of Fukui Prefecture in the Hokuriku region of Japan. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Wakasa''" in . Wakasa bordered on Echizen, Ōmi, Tanba, Tango, and Yamash ...

and Kuroi Castle was abandoned and allowed to fall into ruin. All that remains of Kuroi Castle today and some fragmentary stone walls and earthworks. The entrance to the site is a 15-minute walk from Kuroi Station on the

JR West , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, ...

Fukuchiyama Line The is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) connecting Osaka and Fukuchiyama, Kyoto, Fukuchiyama, Japan. Within JR West's "Urban Network" covering the Osaka–Kobe–Kyoto metropolitan region, the line from Osaka to S ...

and another 45 minute walk from entrance to the hilltop. Kuroi Castle was listed as one of the

Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles The is a list of 100 Japanese castle, castles, intended as a sequel of 100 Fine Castles of Japan. The castles were chosen for their significance in culture, history, and in their regions by the in 2017. Hokkaidō region Tōhoku region Kant ...

in 2017.

Gallery

Kuroij4.jpg, Stone wall of a Yagura Tower Kuroij7.jpg, Ninomaru Base Kuroij11.jpg, Gate of Honmaru Base Kuroij13.jpg, View from Honmaru Base Kozenjit2.jpg, Kozenji Temple (Former residence of Saitō Toshimitsu)

Literature

References

{{Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles Castles in Hyōgo Prefecture Ruined castles in Japan Akechi clan 14th-century establishments in Japan Historic Sites of Japan Tanba Province Tamba, Hyōgo

History

Gallery

See also

Literature

References