Ōmiya Castle (Shimotsuke)

En un regard

Le château en bref

Ōmiya Castle (大宮城) is a medieval mountain castle whose remains lie in the Ōmiya area of the town of Shioya, Shioya District, Tochigi Prefecture. It is referred to as Ōmiya Castle of Shimotsuke Province to distinguish it from castles of the same name. It is said to have been founded in the first half of the 14th century by Ōmiya Tanekage, third son of Kimijima Tanetoki, when the Ōmiya branch of the Kimijima clan was being established; it guarded the south-eastern flank of Funyū Castle, seat of the main branch. Sources on the following generations are scarce, and other names of commanders appear later, probably indicating a change of holders. In 1587, according to the records of Imamiya Shrine, the stronghold was restored and entrusted to three commanders, before being finally abandoned in 1597. Built on a plan of several adjoining enclosures, the site reuses a hill already levelled by the Nishinoyama burial mound group; the earthworks still visible date mainly from the 1587 restoration.