280px, Map of Odani Castle
was a
Sengoku period
The was a period in History of Japan, Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615.
The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the Feudalism, feudal system of Japan under the ...
mountain-top
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 ...
located in the former town of
Kohoku, now part of
Nagahama city, in
Shiga Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Shiga Prefecture has a population of 1,412,916 (1 October 2015) and has a geographic area of . Shiga Prefecture borders Fukui Prefecture to the north, Gifu Prefecture to the nort ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. Only the ruins remain today. It was the home castle of the
Azai clan
The , also rendered as Asai, was a Japanese clan during the Sengoku period.
History
The Azai was a line of ''daimyōs'' (feudal lords) seated at Odani Castle in northeastern Ōmi Province, located within present day Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture. ...
and the mountain it was built upon was considered to be impregnable. The castle fell during
Oda Nobunaga
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period. He is regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan.
Nobunaga was head of the very powerful Oda clan, and launched a war against other ''daimyō'' to unify ...
's siege in the
Genki
Genki may refer to:
*Genki (company), a Japanese video game company
*Genki (era), a Japanese era name
*Genki (given name)
Genki (written: 元気, 元喜, 元基, 元規, 源気 or 源基) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with th ...
and
Tenshō eras (
Siege of Odani Castle
The 1573 was the last stand of the Azai clan, one of Oda Nobunaga's chief opponents. and the first battle of Oda Nobutada.
Prelude
In September, 1573, Oda Nobunaga defeated the Asakura clan_at_the_Siege_of_Ichijodani_Castle.html" ;"title="DF ...
), in 1573.
Its ruins have been protected as a
National Historic Site since 2005.
Overview
Odani Castle is regarded as among Japan's Five Greatest Mountain Castles, along with
Kasugayama Castle
is a Sengoku period ''yamashiro''-style Japanese castle located in the Nakayashiki neighborhood of the city of Jōetsu, Niigata prefecture. It was the primary fortress of the warlord Uesugi Kenshin, and was originally built and ruled by the Nag ...
,
Nanao Castle
was a Muromachi period ''yamajiro''-style Japanese castle located in what is now the city of Nanao, Ishikawa Prefecture, in the Hokuriku region of Japan. Its ruins have been protected as a National Historic Site since 1934.
Background
Nanao Cas ...
,
Kannonji Castle
was a Sengoku period ''yamashiro''-style Japanese castle located in what is now the Azuchi neighborhood of the city of Ōmihachiman, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. The ruins have been protected as a National Historic Site since 1982, with the area ...
and
Gassantoda Castle
Gassantoda Castle (月山富田城, ''Gassantoda-jō'') was a Japanese castle located in Yasugi, Shimane Prefecture.
History
It is believed the castle was built in the Heian period but this is unclear. Later the castle served as the seat of the ...
. The castle's main area is over 800 meters long, and with the outlier fortifications on surrounding mountain ridges, the total area is over a square kilometer.
History
During the
Nanboku-chō period
The Nanboku-chō period (南北朝時代, ''Nanboku-chō jidai'', "North and South court period", also known as the Northern and Southern Courts period), spanning from 1336 to 1392, was a period that occurred during the formative years of the Mur ...
, northern
Ōmi Province
was a province of Japan, which today comprises Shiga Prefecture. It was one of the provinces that made up the Tōsandō circuit. Its nickname is . Under the ''Engishiki'' classification system, Ōmi was ranked as one of the 13 "great countrie ...
(modern Shiga Prefecture) was under the control of the
Kyōgoku clan
The were a Japanese ''daimyō'' clan which rose to prominence during the Sengoku period, Sengoku and Edo period, Edo periods. The clan descend from the Emperor Uda, Uda Minamoto clan, Genji through the Sasaki clan.Papinot, Jacques. (2003)''Nobi ...
, vassals of the
Ashikaga shogunate
The , also known as the , was the feudal military government of Japan during the Muromachi period from 1336 to 1573.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Muromachi-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 669.
The Ashikaga shogunate was establ ...
. However, the Kyōgoku preferred to govern by proxy while remaining behind to enjoy the comforts of
Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
and to engage in internal politics of the shogunate. As a result, their authority was gradually weakened, and local lords, such as the minor
Azai clan
The , also rendered as Asai, was a Japanese clan during the Sengoku period.
History
The Azai was a line of ''daimyōs'' (feudal lords) seated at Odani Castle in northeastern Ōmi Province, located within present day Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture. ...
, were able to seize power. Northern Ōmi was nominally under control of the Asami clan as deputies of the Kyōgoku. From 1516,
Azai Sukemasa
was the head of the Azai clan. Sukemasa was a retainer of the Kyōgoku clan but when the Kyōgoku clan declined for conflicts over the succession, the Azai clan came to power with Sukemasa as its daimyō.
After Sukemasa died, his son Azai Hisam ...
formed an alliance of minor warlords from 1516 and were able to expel the Asami by 1520. Kyōgoku Takakiyo had no choice but to accept this fait accompli, and named Azai Sukemasa as his deputy governor, but this was only a nominal title, and for all intents and purposes, the Azai clan had emerged as an independent power in northern Ōmi. Construction of Odani Castle began around this time. However, the Azai clan was still weak and after being attacked in 1525 by the
Rokkaku clan
The was a Japanese samurai clan Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003).html" ;"title="DF 53 of 80">"Rokkaku" at ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 49 DF_53_...
_of_southern_Ōmi,_were_forced_to_turn_to_the_Asakura_clan.html" ;"title="DF 53 of 80/nowiki>">DF 53 ...
of southern Ōmi, were forced to turn to the Asakura clan">DF 53 of 80/nowiki>">DF 53 ...