Iwakura Castle (岩倉城 Iwakura-jō) was a flat castle (平城 hirajiro) located in Iwakura, north of Nagoya.
The Oda clan , which held power in Owari during the Warring States period, was divided into two lines, the Iwakura Oda clan (岩倉織田氏, also known as the Ise no Kami 伊勢守家), which ruled the four upper counties of Owari, and the Kiyosu Oda clan (清州織田氏, also known as the Yamato no Kami 大和守家), which ruled the four lower counties and fought each other. Iwakura Castle was the headquarters of the Iwakura Oda. The castle was built around 1479 by Oda Toshihiro (織田敏弘, d. 1481). Oda Nobunaga was from the Shobata Oda clan (勝幡織田氏, Danjō no Chū), chief retainers of the Kiyosu Oda. Later, to oppose Nobunaga, who was expanding his power by destroying the Kiyosu Oda, Nobuyasu (織田信康, d. 1544), head of the Iwakura Oda clan, allied with Nobuyuki (織田信行 , 1536-1558), Nobunaga's younger brother. However, they were defeated in the Battle of Ukino in 1558, and Iwakura Castle fell in 1559. Nobunaga had achieved the unification of Owari.
As is typical of urban castles, only a few traces of Iwakura Castle remain. According to modern-day reconstruction near the castle monument, it measured approximately 90 metres east to west and 170 metres north to south and was surrounded by the Gojō River (五条川) running east (incidentally, Kiyosu Castle is also located along the Gojō River) and a moat. The castle ruins monument was erected in the former honmaru.
Local guideboard
The yellow line is the extent of the castle based on the reconstruction map.
Aerial photographs taken from Geographical Survey Institute maps. The location of the enclosures is estimated.
We arrived at the castle ruins walking from Iwakura Station on the Meitetsu Inuyama Line.
First, we stopped at the birthplace of Yamauchi Kazutoyo (山内一豊) in the precincts of the Shinmei Ikuta Shrine (神明生田神社). Kazutoyo was the son of Moritoyo, a retainer of the Iwakura Oda clan, and was born here on the northern side of Iwakura Castle. Moritoyo was killed in battle during the fall of Iwakura Castle, so Kazutoyo became a rōnin, but around the 10th year of Eiroku (1567), he came to serve Oda Nobunaga.
From there, we walked a little further south to the castle rest area near the monument in the photo at the beginning of this article. However, there are only toilets and benches.
This monument was erected in 1860.
The Gojō River, viewed from the eponymous Castle Ruins Bridge (城跡橋 Jōseki-bashi) on the east side of the castle ruins, is a treat during cherry blossom season.
Three moats and excavated items were also found on the left bank of the Gojō River, so it is presumed that there were buildings related to Iwakura Castle on the left bank as well. An analysis of the cadastral map shows that samurai residences and municipalities existed on a scale of about 900 metres from north to south and about 400 metres from east to west.
Date of visit: 21 March 2014
The Oda clan , which held power in Owari during the Warring States period, was divided into two lines, the Iwakura Oda clan (岩倉織田氏, also known as the Ise no Kami 伊勢守家), which ruled the four upper counties of Owari, and the Kiyosu Oda clan (清州織田氏, also known as the Yamato no Kami 大和守家), which ruled the four lower counties and fought each other. Iwakura Castle was the headquarters of the Iwakura Oda. The castle was built around 1479 by Oda Toshihiro (織田敏弘, d. 1481). Oda Nobunaga was from the Shobata Oda clan (勝幡織田氏, Danjō no Chū), chief retainers of the Kiyosu Oda. Later, to oppose Nobunaga, who was expanding his power by destroying the Kiyosu Oda, Nobuyasu (織田信康, d. 1544), head of the Iwakura Oda clan, allied with Nobuyuki (織田信行 , 1536-1558), Nobunaga's younger brother. However, they were defeated in the Battle of Ukino in 1558, and Iwakura Castle fell in 1559. Nobunaga had achieved the unification of Owari.
As is typical of urban castles, only a few traces of Iwakura Castle remain. According to modern-day reconstruction near the castle monument, it measured approximately 90 metres east to west and 170 metres north to south and was surrounded by the Gojō River (五条川) running east (incidentally, Kiyosu Castle is also located along the Gojō River) and a moat. The castle ruins monument was erected in the former honmaru.
Local guideboard
The yellow line is the extent of the castle based on the reconstruction map.
Aerial photographs taken from Geographical Survey Institute maps. The location of the enclosures is estimated.
We arrived at the castle ruins walking from Iwakura Station on the Meitetsu Inuyama Line.
First, we stopped at the birthplace of Yamauchi Kazutoyo (山内一豊) in the precincts of the Shinmei Ikuta Shrine (神明生田神社). Kazutoyo was the son of Moritoyo, a retainer of the Iwakura Oda clan, and was born here on the northern side of Iwakura Castle. Moritoyo was killed in battle during the fall of Iwakura Castle, so Kazutoyo became a rōnin, but around the 10th year of Eiroku (1567), he came to serve Oda Nobunaga.
From there, we walked a little further south to the castle rest area near the monument in the photo at the beginning of this article. However, there are only toilets and benches.
This monument was erected in 1860.
The Gojō River, viewed from the eponymous Castle Ruins Bridge (城跡橋 Jōseki-bashi) on the east side of the castle ruins, is a treat during cherry blossom season.
Three moats and excavated items were also found on the left bank of the Gojō River, so it is presumed that there were buildings related to Iwakura Castle on the left bank as well. An analysis of the cadastral map shows that samurai residences and municipalities existed on a scale of about 900 metres from north to south and about 400 metres from east to west.
Date of visit: 21 March 2014
Access:
- Address: Shiroato-121 Shimohonmachi, Iwakura, Aichi 482-0005
- Access: an eight-minute walk from Iwakura Station on the Meitetsu Inuyama Line; five kilometres from Meishindo Ichinomiya Interchange via Prefectural Route 155
- Parking: no parking.
- Other sights: Komakiyama Castle
- Next article in the series 'Walking the Japanese Castles': Kano Castle
- Previous article in the series 'Walking the Japanese Castles': Komakiyama Castle
