Amagiri Castle, Mountain fortress in Zentsūji, Japan
Amagiri Castle is a mountain fortress in Zentsuji, Japan, built along a ridgeline to control access to nearby port areas. Its ruins consist of several tiers of stone walls and enclosures that follow the natural shape of the terrain.
The fortress was built in 1364 by Kagawa Kagenori as a secondary stronghold to reinforce defenses around the Tadotsu area. It played a role in the military conflicts of the Muromachi period that shaped control over this part of Shikoku.
The castle grounds share their hillside with Iyadani-ji temple, which is station 71 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage route. Visitors walking the area can see pilgrims in white robes passing through the same slopes where soldiers once kept watch.
The ruins are reached on foot from Zentsuji, following a path that passes by Iyadani-ji temple on the way up. The hillside offers little shade, so carrying water and wearing sturdy footwear makes the walk easier.
The ruins extend along a long stretch of mountain ridgeline, with natural rock outcrops built directly into the defensive walls rather than removed or worked around. Walking through the site, you can clearly see where the stone of the mountain ends and the stone of the builders begins.
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