En un regard
Le château en bref
On the coast of the Seto Inland Sea, at the eastern base of the Takanawa Peninsula, Einōzan Fort occupies two neighbouring hills, Mount Einō and Mount Iō. It is one of the known ancient mountain fortresses in Japan, and the only one in Ehime Prefecture. No written source names it; it is linked to the defences raised in western Japan after the defeat at Hakusukinoe (663) to ward off an invasion from the continent. An enclosure of about 2.5 km, made of earthen banks on lines of stones, sometimes with masonry or bare rock, follows the ridgelines. Excavations have also uncovered forge furnaces and anvils, a rare case for this type of site. Pottery from the 7th and 8th centuries indicates use at least until the early 8th century. The site, straddling Saijō and Imabari, has been a National Historic Site since 2005, extended in 2007 and 2017.