Kōnomine Castle, Mountain fortress in Yamaguchi City, Japan
Kōnomine Castle is a mountaintop fortress in Yamaguchi City with stone walls and foundations stretching along a ridge at 338 meters above the city. The ruins display multiple levels of earthworks, walls, and wells built during this period.
Yoshitaka Ōuchi built this fortress in 1556 in response to advancing Mōri forces during the unstable Sengoku period. The choice of the mountain summit provided tactical advantages for defending against the expansion of rival clans.
The site remains connected to the nearby Yamaguchi Daijingu Shrine through walking paths, revealing how medieval fortifications shaped the sacred landscape. The relationship between the defensive structures and the shrine grounds shows how military and spiritual spaces coexisted in this region.
The site is best reached by train to JR Yamaguchi Station, followed by a short drive to the mountain base. Visitors should wear sturdy footwear, as the walk up to the ruins follows unpaved paths.
The ruins contain a sophisticated system of wells showing how builders solved the challenge of water supply on the exposed mountaintop. These underground structures were critical for self-sufficiency during sieges.
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