was a

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 ...

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 center of what is now the town of Sannohe, in Sannohe District of

Aomori Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku region. The prefecture's capital, largest city, and namesake is the city of Aomori (city), Aomori. Aomori is the northernmost prefecture on Japan's main island, Honshu, and is border ...

, in the

Tōhoku region The , Northeast region, , or consists of the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. This traditional region consists of six prefectures (): Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi, and Yamagata. Tōhoku retains ...

of far northern

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 located on a

river terrace Fluvial terraces are elongated terraces that flank the sides of floodplains and fluvial valleys all over the world. They consist of a relatively level strip of land, called a "tread", separated from either an adjacent floodplain, other fluvial t ...

of the Mabechi River, which formed part of its natural defenses. The castle site was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in March 2022.

History

The actual date of Sannohe Castle’s foundation is unknown; however, it was one of a series of fortifications established by the

Nanbu clan The was a Japanese clan, Japanese samurai clan who ruled most of northeastern Honshū in the Tōhoku region of Japan for over 700 years, from the Kamakura period through the Meiji Restoration of 1868. The Nanbu claimed descent from the Seiwa Ge ...

in the late

Kamakura period The is a period of History of Japan, Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the G ...

or early

when the clan relocated its seat from Kai Province to Mutsu Province and started to secure its control over the frontier Nukanobu District. The clan residence remained at nearby

Shōjujidate Castle was a Muromachi period Japanese castle located in what is now the town of Nanbu, Aomori, Nanbu, in Sannohe District, Aomori, Sannohe District of Aomori Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of far northern Japan. It was also known as the (i.e. forme ...

in what is now the town of Nanbu until that

fortified house A fortified house or fortified mansion is a type of building which developed in Europe during the Middle Ages, generally with significant fortifications added. During the earlier Roman Empire, Roman period it was common for wealthy landowner ...

was destroyed in an uprising in June 1539. The 24th hereditary chieftain of the clan, Nanbu Harumasa, relocated his seat to nearby Sannohe Castle. After the death of Nanbu Harumasa in 1582, the clan split into several competing factions. In 1590, the Sannohe faction led by Nanbu Nobunao organized a coalition of most of the Nambu clans and pledged allegiance to

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: ...

at the Siege of Odawara. In return, he was recognized as chieftain of the Nanbu clans, and confirmed as ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and no ...

'' of his existing holdings in the northern districts of Mutsu Province. However, Kunohe Masazane, leader of a rival faction, felt that he had a stronger claim to the title of clan chieftain, and immediately rose in rebellion. After the suppression of the

Kunohe Rebellion The was an insurrection of the Sengoku period of Japan that occurred in Mutsu Province from 13 March to 4 September 1591. The Kunohe Rebellion was the final battle in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's campaigns during the Sengoku period and completed the ...

, Sannohe castle was modernized with stone

rampart Rampart may refer to: * Rampart (fortification), a defensive wall or bank around a castle, fort or settlement Rampart may also refer to: * LAPD Rampart Division, a division of the Los Angeles Police Department ** Rampart scandal, a blanket ter ...

s. However, after the establishment of the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

, the clan seat was relocated south to Morioka Castle in 1634, and Sannohe Castle was allowed to fall into ruins. In 1684, Morioka Domain established a '' daikansho'', constructing a '' jin'ya'' on the site of the old castle. After the

Meiji restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...

, one of the gates was donated to a local temple, and the remaining structures were pulled down. The area later became the . In 1967, a faux-''

tenshu is an architectural typology found in Japanese castle, Japanese castle complexes. They are easily identifiable as the highest tower within the castle. Common translations of ''tenshu'' include keep, main keep, or ''donjon''. ''Tenshu'' are cha ...

'' was constructed to serve as a local history museum, even though there is no historical evidence to indicate that such a structure existed at any point in the castle’s history. In 1989, one of the gates of the castle was also re-constructed.

Description

Sannohe Castle is located at a strategic junction of the Ōshū Kaidō with the Mabechi River and one of its tributaries, the Appigawa. The castle is situated on a long and narrow hilltop with dimensions of approximately 500 meters by 200 meters, with a sheer 70 meter sides, extending northwest to southeast. This area was divided into 20 enclosures at various levels, each surrounded by earthen walls. The main bailey is the highest and largest enclosure, with dimensions of 100 by 200 meters. Lower enclosures held the residences of relatives and important retainers, as well as the garrison, stables, and several ponds. In the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

, the most important enclosures were rebuilt with stone walls, and gates.

References

External links

Sannnohe Castle at JCastle
{{in lang, ja Castles in Aomori Prefecture Ruined castles in Japan Sannohe, Aomori Museums in Aomori Prefecture History museums in Japan Nanbu clan Mutsu Province Historic Sites of Japan

History

Description

See also

References

External links