Ichijōdani Castle : A Study of Japanese Bibliography

This is all about Ichijōdani Castle Ruins you want to know.
Every information you get on this site will be from a credible source based on Japanese history (books for reference).

"Ichijōdani Jōsekizu (in Edo Period)" from Fukui Prefecture Library

There are two typical castle pictures in the Edo period. The one is "Japan Kojōezu" collected by the Inagaki family, the Toba Daimyō from the mid-Edo period to the Meiji Restoration, as materials for military studies. There are about 350 illustrations, but there is no uniformity because only illustrations of castles, illustrations including castle towns, and old battlefield illustrations are mixed.

The another is "The Shōhō Shiroezu", picture of the castle and castle town that the Edo Shogunate ordered the daimyō to create and submit,aggregating military information such as the buildings inside the castle, the height of the stone wall, the width of the moat and the water depth, etc., it also details the location and shape of the castle town and the mountain river.

Profile : Ichijōdani Castle Ruins


Location	Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture
Also known as	ー
Type of castle	Mountaintop
Mountain's name	Mt.Ichijōshiroyama
Elevation	473m
Condition	Ruins
Designation	National Special Historic Sites National Special Place of Scenic Beauty
Year built	late 15th century
Abolished	1575
Castle lord	Asakura Takakage
Refurbishment lord	Asakura Yoshikage

Portrait of Asakura Yoshikage from **Wikipedia**

Family Crest of Asakura Clan from **"Wikipedia"**

The family crest was originally created from the pattern that the emperor and the royal family put on the kimono, and the pattern was made into a fixed pattern, and the one attached to his own oxcart is said to be the beginning of the family crest. The warlords drew large crests on the flag-fingers, used to distinguish enemy views on the battlefield, and used by the generals to determine which warlords were active and how much.

Ichijōdani Castle admission

admission fee : free
admission time : am9-pm5 ※Reconstructed Castle Town
closing period : open everyday but new year holidays reference official site

Ichijōdani Castle Google Map

👑Congratulation👑

Ichijōdani Castle has been selected as "the strongest castle in Japan"！！【The Special TV program of Sengoku Warlord Akechi Mitsuhide and great Castle Grand Prix with all over Japan on broadcasting NHK , January 4 . 2020】

Ichijōdani Castle Images　

Ichijōdani Castle is where Asakura Clan located , which had fought a fierce battle with Oda Nobunaga in Sengoku Warlord period. It is the only medieval Sengoku Period Castle town ruins that has been designated as a special historic site, a special scenic spot, and an important cultural property nationally, which has only six cases nationwide.

The ruins of residence with Asakura Yoshikage

A valuable relic of the Warring States period. An 80m-square residence encloses three sides with earthworks and trenchs, with the main building and 16 other buildings.

Ichijōdani Castle was set in the center of the flat area of the narrow valley that extends from north to south, a castle town was formed around it. Two sturdy gates were built at the entrance to the valley, protecting the castle town between the valleys. On the other hand, the very defensive mountaintop style castle built on Mt. Ichijo was territorially stretched so that Ichinomaru, Ninomaru, and Sannomaru were surrounded by countless une-shaped trenches and earthworks.

The area around Ichijōdani Castle has developed dramatically as many nobles, high priests and literary people have evacuated from the capital city of Kyoto, which was devastated by The Ōnin Ｗar in 1467. At the same time, the gorgeous Kyoto culture has blossomed here. For this reason, it was also called "The second”. The heyday reached its peak from the time when Asakura Takakage was active, and the population exceeded 10,000, prospering as the center of the Echizen region.

Excavations on the castle were conducted in 1968, and numerous historical sites have been found, including the foundation stones and tea houses that showed prosperity at the time. Today, you can feel the remnants of that time in the restored Asakura's mansion, samurai residence, and so on.

It is not recommended to visit in winter except for "restored castle towns" because of the heavy snow. Other highlights is "Fukui Prefectural Asakura Clan-Ichijodani Castle Archeological Museum", exhibits about Mr. Asakura and the castle town from Asakura ruins relics excavated and designated as Important Cultural Properties Exhibition at the center.

Link : Japanese major fortress

【central japan】Nanao Castle 【east japan】 Odawara Castle 【west japan】Kumamoto Castle 【central japan】Yamanaka Castle 【central japan】Ichijōdani Castle 　