was a ''yamajiro''-style
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 the Shintomi-honjō neighborhood of the town of
Kimotsuki,
Kagoshima Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands. Kagoshima Prefecture has a population of 1,527,019 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 9,187 Square kilometre, km2 (3,547 Square m ...
,
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 ...
. Its ruins have been protected as a
National Historic Site since 1945.
Overview
Kōyama Castle was located in a natural stronghold with the Honjō River to the south, the Kuriyama River to the north, the Takayama River to the west, and the steep cliffs of Shirasu Plateau to the east. Furthermore, a dry moat was created across the hilly area extending southwest from the mountain area, forming a curve. The castle was first constructed at the end of the
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...
when the descendants of Taira Kanesada, who was appointed as the ''benzai'' envoy (supervisor of the manor) of
Shimazu ''shōen'', came to this area and settled. Kanesada's son, Kanetoshi, took the name of "Kimotsuki", and his descendants ruled for 18 generations, or over 400 years until the end of the
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 ...
. The Kimotsuki clan ruled most of
Ōsumi Province
was a province of Japan in the area of southeastern Kyūshū, corresponding to the eastern half of modern Kagoshima Prefecture, and including the Ōsumi Islands . Ōsumi bordered on Hyūga to the northeast, and Satsuma Province to the nor ...
, and parts of
Hyuga Province, including
Obi Castle
Obi Castle is a Japanese castle originally completed in 1588. It was the center of the old Obi Domain, now a part of Miyazaki Prefecture.
History
Obi Castle was founded by the Tsuchimochi clan in the Nanboku-chō period, but most of its structu ...
.
In the Sengoku period, Kimotsuki Kanetsugu balanced between the aggressive
Shimazu clan
The were the ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan.
The Shimazu were identified as one of the '' tozama'' or outsider ''daimyō'' familiesAppert, Georges ''et al.'' (1888). in contr ...
of
Satsuma Province
was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Satsuma" in . Its abbreviation was .
History
Satsuma's provincial capital was Satsumasendai. Dur ...
, and the
Ito clan of
Hyūga Province
was a province of Japan in the area of southeastern Kyūshū, corresponding to modern Miyazaki Prefecture Hyūga bordered on Ōsumi to the south, Higo to the west, and Bungo to the north. Its abbreviated form name was , although it was als ...
; however, on his death the Kimotsuki came into conflict with the Shimazu clan and Kōyama Castle was surrendered to the Shimazu in 1573. The Kimotsuki clan continued to rule, albeit as retainers of the Shimazu, over significantly reduced territory until 1580, when they were transferred to Ata (present-day Kinpō-chō,
Minamisatsuma), and Kōyama Castle was abandoned.
Present situation
Traces of the Honmaru Inner Bailey, which was located at an elevation of 82 meters on the mountain, as well as secondary
enclosures
Enclosure or inclosure is a term, used in English landownership, that refers to the appropriation of "waste" or "common land", enclosing it, and by doing so depriving commoners of their traditional rights of access and usage. Agreements to enc ...
divided by dry moats and earthworks remain and can via viewed by a hiking trail. The site is approximately one hour by car from
Shibushi Station on the
JR Kyushu
The , also referred to as , is one of the seven constituent companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It operates intercity rail services within Kyushu, Japan. It formerly operated the Beetle hydrofoil service across the Tsushima Strait be ...
Nichinan Line
The is a railway line in south-eastern Kyushu, Japan, operated by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). It connects Minami-Miyazaki Station in Miyazaki, Miyazaki to Shibushi Station in Shibushi, Kagoshima.
History
The Miyazaki Prefectural Gover ...
.
See also
*
List of Historic Sites of Japan (Kagoshima)
This list is of the Monuments of Japan, Historic Sites of Japan located within the Prefectures of Japan, Prefecture of Kagoshima Prefecture, Kagoshima.
National Historic Sites
As of 27 January 2025, thirty-four Sites have been Cultural Propertie ...
Literature
*
*
External links
KimotsukiTourist Information
References
{{reflist
Castles in Kagoshima Prefecture
Historic Sites of Japan
Ruined castles in Japan
Ōsumi Province
Kimotsuki, Kagoshima