was a

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 ...

of the ''

kōgoishi Kōgoishi (神篭石 or 神籠石) are earthenwork structures, on a stone foundation, constructed in Japan during the Asuka period, particularly in areas around Fukuoka, on the island of Kyūshū. The name "''kōgoishi''" means "stones of divine pro ...

'' type, constructed in the late 7th century by the Yamato Imperial court. The site, atop Kijō Mountain in what is today the

Okayama Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Okayama Prefecture has a population of 1,906,464 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 7,114 Square kilometre, km2 (2,746 sq mi). Okayama Prefectur ...

town of

Sōja is a city located in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. As of 2020, the city has an estimated population of 69,343 and a population density of 322 persons per km2. The total area is 211.90 km2. History In the 7th century, Ki Castle was built atop ...

, is considered a national monument. Portions of the castle were reconstructed in the early 2000s. The castle's name literally means "demon castle" (''ki'' is another reading for the character for ''

oni An is a kind of ''yōkai'', demon, orc, ogre, or troll in Japanese folklore. Oni are mostly known for their fierce and evil nature manifested in their propensity for murder and cannibalism. Notwithstanding their evil reputation, oni possess i ...

''); according to a traditional fable, a demon named ''Onra'' or Ura once ruled

Kibi Province was an ancient province or region of Japan, in the same area as Okayama Prefecture and eastern Hiroshima Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Kibi''" in . It was sometimes called . It was divided into Bizen (備前), Bitchū (� ...

from the castle.

Legend

The castle is the basis of the myth that is associated with the folklore hero,

Momotarō is a Folk hero, popular hero of Japanese folklore. His name is often translated as ''Peach Boy'', but is directly translated as ''Peach + Tarō (given name), Tarō'', a common Japanese given name. ''Momotarō'' is also the title of various books, ...

. The legendary story of

Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto , also known as Hiko Isuseri-hiko no mikoto, was a legendary Japanese prince. According to the '' Nihon Shoki'', he was the son of Emperor Kōrei. Legend says this prince slayed an ogre called Ura, which may be the demonization of the Kingdom of ...

and Ura explains that the Prince Ura of Kudara used to live in Kinojo (castle of the devil) and was a cause of trouble for the people living in the village. The emperor's government sent Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto (Momotarō) to defeat Ura.

History

Following the defeat of Yamato Japan in the 663

battle of Hakusukinoe The Battle of Baekgang or Battle of Baekgang-gu, also known as Battle of Hakusukinoe ( ja, 白村江の戦い, Hakusuki-no-e no Tatakai / Hakusonkō no Tatakai) in Japan, as Battle of Baijiangkou ( zh, c=白江口之战, p=Bāijiāngkǒu Zhīzh ...

by an alliance of

Tang China The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdom ...

and the

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

n kingdom of

Silla Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms of K ...

Emperor Tenji , also known as Emperor Tenchi, was the 38th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')天智天皇 (38)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', p. 5 ...

ordered the construction of defenses against a possible invasion. According to the '' Nihonshoki'', twelve Korean-style mountain fortifications were built in western Japan at this time, and it is believed that Ki castle was one of them. The identification of particular sites with the fortresses constructed at this time remains a subject of debate, and most fortifications of this period are classified under the wider term ''kōgoishi'' (神籠石). The fortress was built atop Kijōyama (鬼城山, lit. Ki castle mountain), and used the topography and natural features as its primary defenses. Its elevation granted it the tactical

high ground High ground is an area of elevated terrain, which can be useful in combat. The military importance of the high ground has been recognized for over 2,000 years, citing early examples from China and other early-dynastic cultures who regularly engag ...

, and the trees and other foliage, not cleared entirely, provided additional obstacles to attackers. Simple stone walls and earthworks 2.8 km in perimeter surrounded the site. There were four gates pointing arranged to the

cardinal directions The four cardinal directions, or cardinal points, are the four main compass directions: north, east, south, and west, commonly denoted by their initials N, E, S, and W respectively. Relative to north, the directions east, south, and west are a ...

, and a fifth, so-called "water gate," through which water could be drained out of the fort. Within the fortress, the remains of a number of buildings have been found, including a smoke tower, well, and food storehouse. The site was formally examined by government officials in 1999, and permission was granted to begin research and reconstruction. Excavation and restoration has been carried out since then, though care has been taken to protect the natural environment in and around the site.

Gallery

File:Kinojo_Nishimon.JPG, West Gate (outside the castle) File:鬼ノ城西門.jpg, West Gate (inside the castle) File:鬼ノ城角楼.jpg, Corner tower (outside the castle) File:北門（城外より）.jpg, North gate (outside the castle) File:鬼ノ城石垣.jpg, Ishigaki style File:鬼ノ城第二水門.jpg, Second water gate File:水城状遺構を望む（城内より）１.jpg, A view from the castle

References

Literature

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External links