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280px, Map of Odani Castle
was a
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 ...
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 a ...
located in the former town of
Kohoku, now part of
Nagahama city, in
Shiga Prefecture
is a landlocked prefecture of Japan in the Kansai region of Honshu. Shiga Prefecture has a population of 1,398,972 as of 1 February 2025 and has a geographic area of . Shiga Prefecture borders Fukui Prefecture to the north, Gifu Prefecture to th ...
,
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 ...
. 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 clan was a line of ''daimyōs'' (feudal military lords) seated at Odani Castle in northeastern Ōmi Province, located within present day Nagahama, S ...
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, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He was the and regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. He is sometimes referred as the "Demon Daimyō" and "Demo ...
's siege in the
Genki 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. Later, the Od ...
), 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, Nanao, Ishikawa Prefecture, in the Hokuriku region of Japan. Its ruins have been protected as a Historic Sites of Japan, National Histori ...
,
Kannonji Castle and
Gassantoda Castle. 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 , also known as the Northern and Southern Courts period, was a period in Japanese history between 1336-1392 CE, during the formative years of the Ashikaga shogunate, Muromachi (Ashikaga) shogunate. Ideologically, the two courts fought for 50 ...
, northern
Ōmi Province
was a Provinces of Japan, province of Japan, which today comprises Shiga Prefecture. It was one of the provinces that made up the Tōsandō Circuit (subnational entity), circuit. Its nickname is . Under the ''Engishiki'' classification system, ...
(modern Shiga Prefecture) was under the control of the
Kyōgoku clan
The were a Japanese ''daimyō'' and samurai clan which rose to prominence during the Sengoku and Edo periods. The clan descend from the Uda Genji through the Sasaki clan.Papinot, Jacques. (2003)''Nobiliare du Japon'', pp. 27–28./ref> The ...
, vassals of the
Ashikaga shogunate. However, the Kyōgoku preferred to govern by proxy while remaining behind to enjoy the comforts of
Kyoto
Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...
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 clan was a line of ''daimyōs'' (feudal military lords) seated at Odani Castle in northeastern Ōmi Province, located within present day Nagahama, S ...
, were able to seize power. Northern Ōmi was nominally under control of the Asami clan as deputies of the Kyōgoku. From 1516,
Azai Sukemasa 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
of southern Ōmi, were forced to turn to the Asakura clan in Echizen Province">Asakura clan">DF 53 of 80/nowiki> retrieved 2013-4-3 ...
of southern Ōmi, were forced to turn to the Asakura clan in Echizen Province for assistance. As a result, the Azai clan became subordinate to the Asakura, and was still faced with a continual struggle against the Kyōgoku clan, who never abandoned their claim of overlordship of the territory.
In 1558, under Azai Hisamasa, the clan was forced to pledge fealty to the Rokkaku and to yield some territory, and to marry his son Azai Katamasa to a daughter of Rokkaku Yoshikata. His dissatisfied retainers forced Hisamasa into retirement the following year and Azai Katamasa became the clan leader. Angered over this situation, the Rokkaku invaded in 1560 with an army of 25,000 men. Although highly outnumbered, the Azai were able to defeat the Rokkaku, and Azai Katamasa changed his name to Azai Nagamasa. He then pursued an aggressive campaign to seize more of the Rokkaku territories in southern Ōmi and into
Mino Province
was a province of Japan in the area of Japan that is today southern Gifu Prefecture. Mino was bordered by Ōmi to the west, Echizen and Hida to the north, Shinano to the east, and Ise, Mikawa, and Owari to the south. Its abbreviated fo ...
and with the increased power and prestige of the Azai clan, Odani Castle was also expanded and strengthened. However, by expanding into southern Ōmi and Mino, the Azai came into conflict with
Oda Nobunaga
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He was the and regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. He is sometimes referred as the "Demon Daimyō" and "Demo ...
. Initially, Azai Nagamasa decided to accept an alliance with Nobunaga and married Nobunaga's younger sister
Oichi
was a female historical figure in the late Sengoku period. She is known primarily as the mother of three daughters who became prominent figures in their own right – Yodo-dono, Ohatsu , but on the condition that Nobunaga also agree to a non-aggression treaty with the Asakura clan. In August 1569, Nobunaga attacked the Asakura in violation of the agreement. At the
Siege of Kanegasaki (1570) the Asakura and Azai armies caught Nobunaga in a pincer movement and forced his retreat. Nobunaga later returned with a new army and
Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...
as his ally. At the
Battle of Anegawa
The Sengoku period (30 July 1570) occurred near Lake Biwa in Ōmi Province, Japan, between the allied forces of Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu, against the combined forces of the Azai and Asakura clans. It is notable as the first battle t ...
, five kilometers south of Odani Castle, the Azai were defeated, losing half their territory and were besieged. With the support of the Asakura, Odani Castle held for a long time. However, Nobunaga's general
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: ...
actively recruited defectors from among the Azai generals and was able to defeat the Asakura forces at the
Siege of Hikida Castle and the
Siege of Ichijōdani Castle. With the annihilation of their Asakura allies, it was impossible for the Azai to continue the war. Once Hideyoshi's forces had penetrated to the third bailey of the castle, Azai Hisamasa and Azai Nagamasa killed themselves and the castle fell. Hideyoshi used Odani Castle as his own stronghold while he completed the construction of
Nagahama Castle on the shores of
Lake Biwa
is the largest freshwater lake in Japan. It is located entirely within Shiga Prefecture (west-central Honshu), northeast of the former capital city of Kyoto. Lake Biwa is an ancient lake, over 4 million years old. It is estimated to be the 13 ...
, dismantling and moving some of the buildings and using its stone walls as raw materials for his new castle. Once Nagahama Castle was complete, Hideyoshi relocated there and Odani Castle was abolished.
Odani Castle was listed as one of
Japan's Top 100 Castles by the Japan Castle Foundation in 2006.
Japan Castle Foundation
/ref>
Structure
Odani Castle is a long mountain castle that is built on the ridges and valleys of the surrounding area. At the center of main area is a huge dry moat of 20 meters in width, which divides the castle into two parts. The inner area behind the moat was the older and more important part of the castle, with the Third Bailey (San-no-maru) at the highest point of the mountain. The castle structure, as was common for Japanese castles of this period, consisted of numerous 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 ...
with earthen ramparts and dry moats. The area in front of the large moat was the more modern portion of the castle with the palace for the Azai clan in an enclosure protected by stone-lined ramparts and a compound gate, along with a large ''yagura'' turret.
Little remains of the castle today except for some fragmentary portions of dry moats and stone walls. The entrance to the site is a 45-minute walk from Kawake Station on the JR West
, also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, ...
Hokuriku Main Line
The Hokuriku Main Line () is a railway line owned by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) connecting Maibara Station in Maibara, Shiga, with Tsuruga Station in Tsuruga, Fukui. The line formerly extended as far as Naoetsu Station in ...
, and it is a further one-hour hike up the mountain to reach the hilltop ruins.
Gallery
File: Odanij11.jpg, Stone wall of Honmaru Compound
File:Odanij14.jpg, Horikiri style moat
File:Odanij19.jpg, Sannomaru Compound
See also
*List of Historic Sites of Japan (Shiga)
This list is of the Monuments of Japan, Historic Sites of Japan located within the Prefectures of Japan, Prefecture of Shiga Prefecture, Shiga.
National Historic Sites
As of 1 January 2021, fifty Sites have been Cultural Properties of Japan, des ...
External links
Odani Castle Sengoku Historical Museum
Shiga-Biwako Tourist Information
Further reading
*
References
{{Authority control
Castles in Shiga Prefecture
Nagahama, Shiga
Historic Sites of Japan
Ōmi Province
Ruined castles in Japan
100 Fine Castles of Japan
Azai clan