Didn’t they say that even ruins can tell tales? We are standing before what remains of Ogurayama Castle. It’s located in Kitahiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture. Once, it stood proud. Now, only traces remain.
Ogurayama Castle’s story is intertwined with the Kikkawa clan. This samurai clan played a significant role in Japan’s Sengoku period. Kikkawa Tsuneyoshi founded the clan. He took his name from his estates in Suruga Province.
Tsuneyoshi distinguished himself by destroying Kajiwara Kagetoki and his clan. This was on orders of the Kamakura shogunate. For this, he received an estate in Harima Province. Later, the clan gained another estate in Aki Province. This was for their service in the Jokyu War.
In 1313, Kikkawa Tsunetaka, concerned about the Kamakura shogunate’s stability, moved his family to Aki. Around this time, he built Surugamaru Castle. It served as his stronghold. The Kikkawa clan lived there for about 70 years. Then, Kikkawa Tsunemi built Ogurayama Castle nearby. Surugamaru Castle was abandoned.
Ogurayama Castle sits at the northern end of the Oasa Basin. It’s on a 460-meter hill. The castle extended about 600 meters east-to-west and north-to-south. The castle area forms a horseshoe-shaped ridge. The inner bailey sits at the center. There are three enclosures on the north and two on the west. The inner bailey measures about 50 by 20 meters. Dry moats and earthen walls protect the enclosures. Wetlands at the base of the mountain added further defense.
The exact construction date remains unknown. It is believed to be around the latter part of the Nanboku-cho period. During this time, the main Kikkawa clan sided with the Northern Court. However, Kikkawa Tsunekane and his son Tsunemi sided with the Southern Court.
Eventually, the main Kikkawa line died out. Tsunemi inherited the headship of both branches. Later, the Kikkawa allied with Hosokawa Katsumoto during the Onin War in 1467. They later joined Ouchi Yoshioki. He supported the restoration of Ashikaga Yoshitane.
During the Taei era, from 1521 to 1527, the Kikkawa broke from the Ouchi clan. They joined the Amago clan. They also entered a marriage alliance with the Mori clan. However, the Mori switched allegiances. This led to mistrust. In 1547, the Kikkawa and other vassals staged a coup. They brought Mori Motonari to power. Motonari’s second son, Mori Motoharu, became head of the Kikkawa clan.
In 1550, Kikkawa Motoharu moved his seat to Hinoyama Castle. Ogurayama Castle was then abandoned. Very little remains of Ogurayama Castle today. However, extensive traces of building foundations have been discovered. These ruins whisper tales of the Kikkawa clan and their strategic stronghold. They offer a glimpse into a turbulent period of Japanese history.