Odaka Castle

Japanese: 小高城 - おだかじょう

Hirayama Castle ( Hirayamajiro ) was located in Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture from the Muromachi period to the Sengoku period. Since the internal conflict of the Date clan, the Tenbun Rebellion (1542-48), this castle was the residence of the Soma clan, who fought fiercely against the Date clan. It is said that the Soma clan, who were on the side of the Northern Court, built it at the beginning of the Nanboku-cho period to counter the forces of Kitabatake Akiie, who was on the side of the Southern Court. In 1336 (Kenmu 3), the castle was attacked and captured by the Southern Court, but was soon recaptured. It remained the residence of the Soma clan for about 260 years until 1597 ( Keicho 2), when the 16th head of the family, Soma Yoshitane, moved his residence to Ushigoe Castle (Ushigoe, Haramachi Ward, Minamisoma City) as the conflict with Date Masamune intensified. The castle is surrounded by the Odaka River and marshes that are now rice paddies, but it was too small to serve as a base for the powerful Soma clan, and the layout of the castle grounds, such as the baileys, was underdeveloped and not suitable for defense against the Date clan, which is thought to be the reason for the move. In 1602 (Keicho 7) after the Battle of Sekigahara, when Tokugawa Ieyasu ordered the transfer of the Satake clan of Hitachi to Akita, the Soma clan's territory was confiscated along with the neighboring Ashina and Iwaki clans. However, as a result of a movement to restore the clan, their territory was confirmed in October of the same year, and the Soma Domain was established. At that time, the first lord of the domain, Soma Toshitane (son of Yoshitane), made Odaka Castle his residence again. However, in 1611 (Keicho 16), Toshitane renovated Nakamura Castle (Soma Nakamura Castle, Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture) and moved his residence there, so Odaka Castle was abandoned. Currently, the castle ruins are the grounds of Odaka Shrine, known for the Nomakake festival of the Soma Nomaoi Festival, and the remains of the former moat, called Benten Pond, remain to the east of the castle ruins. It is about a 15-minute walk from Odaka Station on the JR Joban Main Line. ◇It is also called Benibaiyama Ukifune Castle. It was also called Ukifune Castle at the time because it was surrounded on three sides by rivers and marshes.

Source: Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japanese Castles Information

Japanese:

福島県南相馬市にあった室町時代から戦国時代にかけての平山城(ひらやまじろ)。伊達氏の内紛、天文(てんぶん)の乱（1542～48年）以来、伊達氏と激しい戦いを繰り広げた相馬氏の居城だった城である。南北朝時代初め、北朝方だった相馬氏が南朝方の北畠顕家の軍勢に対応するために築いたといわれる。1336年（建武3）に南朝方に攻められ落城したが、間もなく奪還し、その後、16代当主の相馬義胤が伊達政宗(まさむね)との抗争が激化する中、1597年（慶長2）に牛越城（同市原町区牛越）に居城を移すまでの約260年間、相馬氏の居城となった。小高川や現在は水田となっている湿地に囲まれた城だが、大勢力となった相馬氏の拠点としては規模が小さく、また、伊達氏への備えとしては郭などの縄張りが未発達で、防衛に適していなかったことが居城を移した理由と考えられている。関ヶ原の戦いの後の1602年（慶長7）、徳川家康により常陸の佐竹氏が秋田への移封を命じられた際、相馬氏の所領は近隣の蘆名氏や岩城氏と同様に没収されたが、再興運動の結果、同年10月に所領が安堵され相馬藩が成立した。その際、初代藩主の相馬利胤（義胤の子）は再び小高城を居城とした。しかし、利胤は1611年（慶長16）、中村城（相馬中村城、同県相馬市）を修築して居城を移したため、小高城は廃城となった。現在、城跡は相馬野馬追祭りの野馬懸で知られる小高神社の境内になっており、城跡の東には弁天池と呼ばれるかつての堀跡などが残っている。JR常磐本線小高駅から徒歩約15分。◇紅梅山浮船城とも呼ばれる。当時も三方を川や湿地で囲まれていたことから浮船城とも呼ばれていた。

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