Iji Fort (Korehari)

En un regard

Le château en bref

In the 8th century the Ritsuryō state extended its control northward through a network of forts (jōsaku). Iji, founded in 767 on an alluvial terrace at the foot of the Tsukidate hills, in present-day Kurihara, is one of the most studied. It covers about 900 m north–south and 700 m east–west, with three enclosures: an administrative office (seichō) of about 60 × 55 m, an inner enclosure of about 240 × 180 m with C-shaped building layouts, and an outer enclosure ringed by a bank and ditch and occupied by pit dwellings. Excavations yielded tiles and pottery, as well as the mechanism of a Chinese-type crossbow, the first of its kind found in Japan. In 780 the revolt of the Emishi officer Iji no Azamaro destroyed the fort by fire. It was reoccupied before being abandoned in the 9th century. Backfilled after excavation, the site now keeps only a commemorative stele.