Kameyama Castle (Mie)

For other castles with the same name, see Kameyama Castle.

Kameyama Castle (亀山城 Kameyama-jō?) is a hirayamashiro (平山城 hirayamashiro?) (castle constructed on a hill) located in Kameyama, Mie Prefecture, Japan. It was built in 1590 AD, by Okamoto Munenori, to replace the older Kameyama Castle, which had been built by Seki Sanetada in 1254.[1]

History

Prior to the 17th century, the town surrounding the castle served as a castle town. With the construction of the Edo Five Routes early in the Sengoku period, the town became Kameyama-juku, a post station along the Tōkaidō.

In 1632, the tenshu (castle keep) was demolished. The base of the tenshu was occupied by the Tamonyagura, which was raised sometime between 1644 and 1648, when Honda Toshitsugu was lord of the castle. The Tamonyagura was declared a historic site by the prefectural government in 1953.[2] In 1873, during the Meiji Restoration, most of the castle was torn down. [3]

At the present, only ruins of the 15-meter-high walls and the Tamonyagura remain, though the more recent Ōmoto-ji and the Kameyama City History Museum stand on the grounds.

References

  1. ^ Kansai Collection: Kameyama Castle. Organization of Kansai Unity. Accessed May 15, 2008.
  2. ^ Mie Tourism Guide: Old Kameyama Castle. Mie Prefecture. Accessed May 15, 2008.
  3. ^ Kameyama Castle (Ise). SamuraiWiki. Accessed May 15, 2008.