Yamabuki Castle, Hill castle in Ōda, Japan
Yamabuki Castle is a hill castle on Mount Yōgaiyama in the city of Ōda, in Shimane Prefecture, Japan. The surviving ruins include stone walls, dry moats, and flat platforms that once served as living quarters and storage areas.
Ōuchi Hiroyuki built the fortification in the early 1530s to oversee the nearby Iwami Ginzan silver mine. Over the course of the 16th century, the castle changed hands several times as rival clans fought to control access to that mine.
The name Yamabuki refers to the kerria flower, a yellow-blooming plant native to Japan. As you walk through the site, you can see how the builders used the natural shape of the hill rather than fighting against it.
Reaching the ruins requires about one hour of hiking on forest trails that are at times steep and unpaved. Good footwear is strongly recommended, as the ground can become slippery depending on the weather.
Some of the trails that now guide visitors up the mountain follow the old routes once used to move silver toward the coast. From the top, you can look directly down onto the Iwami Ginzan silver mine site, which is today a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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