Shōryūji Castle, Medieval fortress in Nagaokakyō, Japan
Shōryūji is a castle site in Nagaokakyō that sits on raised ground, with stone foundation walls and reconstructed wooden buildings still visible. The compound shows typical defensive features of 14th-century Japanese fortifications, including earthworks, moats, and simple building structures now surrounded by green spaces.
The 1339 founding by Hosokawa Yoriharu is now considered a later invention; the castle first appears in a 1457 document as a Hatakeyama deputy's office. Oda Nobunaga's forces took it in 1568, and Hosokawa Fujitaka then rebuilt it with double moats by 1571. It was abandoned in 1649 after Nagai Naokiyo was transferred to Takatsuki.
The name references a nearby temple and reflects the connection between religious and military sites in the region. Visitors today can see the foundation walls and reconstructed wooden buildings, which give a sense of medieval warrior life and show how such compounds fit into the landscape.
The site lies about a ten-minute walk south of Nagaokakyo Station on the JR Kyoto line and is open to visitors during daylight hours. Sturdy footwear is recommended because of uneven paths and stone steps that cross the grounds.
Mitsuhide did not stay the night: after losing at Yamazaki in 1582 he reached the castle, abandoned it under pursuit by Hideyoshi's army, and fled out the north gate toward Sakamoto, dying on the way. Hideyoshi entered the castle the next day. A fragment of the north gate's stone wall survives.
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