- Nagayasu Narita, the lord of Oshijo Castle, was accused of rudeness by the god of war, Kenshin Uesugi, but openly opposed him.
- Battle of Oshijo Castle, which withstood Mitsunari Ishida’s water invasion
- Access to Oshijo Castle
- Parking around Oshijo Castle
- Oshijo Castle Official Website
- Recommended around Oshijo Castle
Nagayasu Narita, the lord of Oshijo Castle, was accused of rudeness by the god of war, Kenshin Uesugi, but openly opposed him.
In the latter half of the Muromachi period, the authority of the shogunate fell to the ground, and a trend of subversion became prominent throughout the country.
In the Kanto region, too, the Kamakura government was divided into two, with the Horikoshi and Furukawa kings fighting each other.
It is thought that Oshijo Castle was built around 1478 in the early Sengoku period.
The Narita clan, which ruled the area around present-day Gyoda City, Saitama Prefecture, destroyed the Oshi clan and built Oshijo Castle.
In the middle of the 16th century, Kenshin Uesugi, who took over as the Kanto governor, frequently engaged in battles with the Hojo clan in Odawara. Finally, he led a large army to besiege Odawara Castle. Narita Nagayasu joined Kenshin in his campaign in Odawara. After the battle, Kenshin held a ceremony at Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine to inaugurate him as the new governor of the Kanto region.
At that time, Kenshin reproached Nagayasu for his rudeness in not dismounting. Nagayasu was based on the example of his ancestor who had greeted even Minamoto no Yoshie without dismounting, but Kenshin must not have been amused by this. It is said that he also confronted Kenshin over the territory. Nagayasu led his army and confined himself in Oshijo Castle.
Battle of Oshijo Castle, which withstood Mitsunari Ishida’s water invasion
In 1590, Toyotomi Hideyoshi attacked the Hojo clan in Kanto in a final push to unify the country.
The Narita clan, which had served the Hojo clan, was holed up in Oshijo Castle to fight Toyotomi’s forces.
In June of the same year, Mitsunari Ishida of the Toyotomi side, who had advanced as far as Tatebayashi, launched an attack on Oshijo Castle.
However, the Oshijo Castle, which utilized rivers and swampy areas, was well defended, and the Toyotomi forces were unable to attack it.
When Hideyoshi learned of the struggle of Ishida’s army, he ordered Mitsunari to attack Oshijo Castle by water.
Mitsunari mobilized local farmers by paying them large sums of money and rice, and built an embankment around Oshijo Castle in only four to five days.
After building the embankment, Mitsunari drew water from the Tone River into the area around Oshijo Castle.
Water cannot submerge all of Oshijo Castle, and the main citadel is spared from submersion.
When seen from afar, it looks as if Oshijo Castle is floating on the water, giving it the nickname “floating castle of Shinobu”.
In the end, Mitsunari was unable to bring down Oshijo Castle
The castle of the Hojo clan, Odawara Castle, fell first, and Oshijo Castle was opened accordingly.
Many of you may be familiar with the story of this area, as it was aired in the movie “Nobo no Shiro.
Every year in October, the Gyoda Chamber of Commerce and Industry sponsors the Oshijo Period Festival. This event is held at the Oshijo castle ruins and the Industrial Culture Hall as its main venues. The main events of the festival are a warrior parade of successive lords of Oshijo Castle and a firearms demonstration.
Since 2008, a B-class gourmet food contest has also been held at the same time. Since 2008, a B-class gourmet food festival has also been held at the same time, attracting many tourists every year. When you visit the Jidai Matsuri, you should also see the Gosan-orya, a three-story turret that was reconstructed on the site of the Honmaru (the main citadel).
Access to Oshijo Castle
《Address》
・17-23 Honmaru, Gyoda-shi, Saitama 361-0052
9:00-16:30 (admission until 16:00)
※Mondays (open on national holidays), the 4th Friday of the month (open during thematic exhibitions and special exhibitions), year-end and New Year’s holidays
(1)15 minutes on foot from Gyoda-shi Station on the Chichibu Line
(2)15 minutes by bus from Fukiage Station on the JR Takasaki Line
(3)15 min. by bus from Gyoda Station on the JR Takasaki Line (Sightseeing Center Circulation Course (clockwise), alighting at Suijo Park)
10 minutes on foot from Suijo Park
Parking around Oshijo Castle
Oshijo Castle Official Website
For more information, please visit the Gyoda City website.
Official site：https://www.gyoda-kankoukyoukai.jp/spot/530