Odani Castle
小谷城 | |
 Ruins of Odani Castle | |
| Location | Kohoku, Shiga Prefecture, Japan |
|---|---|
| History | |
| Builder | Azai Sukemasa |
| Founded | 1516 |
| Abandoned | 1573 |
| Periods | Sengoku |
| Associated with | Azai clan |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | Ruin |
| Public access | Yes |
Odani Castle (小谷城, Odani-jō) was a Sengoku period mountain-top castle located in the former town of Kohoku, now part of Nagahama city, in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. Only the ruins remain today. It was the home castle of the Azai clan and the mountain it was built upon was considered to be impregnable.
The castle fell during Oda Nobunaga's siege in the Genki and Tenshō eras (Siege of Odani Castle), in 1573.[1]
History[]
The castle was built in 1516 by Azai Sukemasa, a vassal of the Kyōgoku clan, after he rebelled against his lord, Kyōgoku Takakiyo,[2][3] and settled his clan in northeastern Ōmi province.[4]
Structure[]
It is a long mountain castle that is built off the ridges and valleys of the surrounding area. At the time of construction, it is believed that the main castle was located near Otake Castle, which is located further north of the current Honmaru ruins. After the fall, Odani Castle was dismantled to be used as a building material for Nagahama Castle, but it is thought that it was an advanced and large-scale castle at that time.
Significance[]
Odani Castle is regarded as among Japan's Five Greatest Mountain Castles, along with Kasugayama Castle, Nanao Castle, Kannonji Castle and Gassantoda Castle. Now it is one of Japan's nationally designated historical ruins.
External links[]
- Odani Castle Sengoku Historical Museum (in Japanese)
References[]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Odani Castle. |
- ^ Turnbull, Stephen (2000). The Samurai Sourcebook. London: Cassell & C0. p. 224. ISBN 1854095234.
- ^ Papinot, Edmond (1906). Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie du Japon (in French). p. 25.
- ^ Sophia University (1979). Monumenta Nipponica, Volume 34.
- ^ Kyoto University, Research Institute for Humanistic Studies (1989). Zinbun, Number 23. Kyoto.
Coordinates: 35°27′33″N 136°16′37″E / 35.459284°N 136.277°E
| hide 100 Fine Castles of Japan by region | ||
|---|---|---|
| Hokkaidō |  | |
| Tōhoku | ||
| Kantō | ||
| Chūbu | ||
| Kansai | ||
| Chūgoku | ||
| Shikoku | ||
| Kyūshūa | ||
a including Okinawa. | ||
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- Castles in Shiga Prefecture
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