En un regard
Le château en bref
Shiga Castle (志賀城, Shiga-jō) stands in the Shiga district of Saku, in Nagano Prefecture, on the heights overlooking Unkō-ji temple. This mountain castle (yamajiro) rises to about 880 metres and is counted among the major strongholds of the Saku region. Its construction, which is undated, is attributed to the Kasahara clan. Its best-known lord is Kasahara Kiyoshige (1515–1547), who was tied to the Murakami sphere of influence. In 1547, during Takeda Harunobu's conquest of Saku (the future Shingen), Takeda laid siege to the castle. Kasahara appealed for help to Uesugi Norimasa, but the relief army was annihilated at Odaihara, the castle fell, and Kiyoshige was killed. The enclosure stretches along a ridge about 220 metres from east to west and 40 metres from north to south, bordered by a steep escarpment to the south. It retains terraces, earthen banks, cutting ditches and stone rubble. The ruins can be made out from Unkō-ji, but part of the land is privately owned and some paths are dangerous.