Karasuyama Castle

Japanese: 烏山城 - からすやまじょう

This mountain castle was located in Nasukarasuyama City, Tochigi Prefecture. Around 1414 (Oei 21), the relationship between Nasu Sukeyuki, lord of Fukuhara Castle, who succeeded him as head of the Nasu clan, and his younger brother Sawamura Goro Sukeshige deteriorated, and the Nasu clan split into the Upper Nasu clan and the Lower Nasu clan. This castle is said to have been built in 1418 (Oei 25) by Sukeshige, who became the first head of the Lower Nasu clan. After that, the Lower Nasu clan used this castle as their main castle, but in 1514 (Eisho 11), the Lower Nasu clan was destroyed and the Nasu clan was unified, but Karasuyama Castle continued to exist as the Nasu clan's castle. After that, the Nasu clan was frequently attacked by the Utsunomiya clan and the Satake clan of Hitachi Province, and they even attacked the castle town, but they managed to hold on to the castle. In 1590 (Tensho 18), the Nasu clan did not participate in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's attack on the Hojo clan (the Battle of Odawara), and after the war, Hideyoshi abolished their titles, and the Nasu clan came to an end. After that, Oda Nobunaga's second son, Oda Nobukatsu , entered the castle, though only for a short period of two months as lord of the castle. After that, after Narita Ujinaga, lord of Musashi-Oshi Castle, took possession of the castle, Nasu Sukeharu was given 5,000 koku of his former territory by Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the Nasu clan was restored. His son Sukekage was also given 5,000 koku and returned to being a daimyo, establishing a jin'ya in one area of Fukuhara Castle. However, he was stripped of his title because he had no heir. After that, the Nasu clan adopted Masuyama Masatoshi's younger brother, Takaharu, who changed his name to Nasu Sukeya and in 1681 (Tenwa 1), became the daimyo of the Karasuyama domain with 20,000 koku of land, and made Karasuyama Castle his residence. However, since Sukeya had no legitimate son, a succession dispute arose, and as a result, the Nasu clan was abolished and extinct in 1687 (Jokyo 4). After that, the Nagai clan, the Inagaki clan, and then the Okubo Tsuneharu were appointed to the Karasuyama Domain, and the Okubo clan continued to rule the domain for generations until the Meiji era. In 1869 (Meiji 2), Karasuyama Castle was abandoned due to the return of the domain to the Emperor. In 1872 (Meiji 5), the Sannomaru Palace collapsed due to snowfall, and in 1873 (Meiji 6), the buildings of the old main castle, second castle, middle castle, and northern castle were burned down in a fire. The castle ruins are now a prefectural natural park, but the stone walls, earthworks, and other remains remain in good condition. The back gate was also relocated to the city and still stands today. It is about a 5-minute walk from Karasuyama Station on the JR Karasuyama Line. ◇It is also called Gagyu Castle.

Source: Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japanese Castles Information

Japanese:

栃木県那須烏山市にあった山城(やまじろ)。1414年（応永21）ごろ、那須氏は那須家の家督を継いだ福原城主那須資之と、その弟の沢村五郎資重の関係が悪化し、上那須家と下那須家に分裂した。この城は、1418年（応永25）に、下那須家初代当主となった資重によって築かれたとされている。その後、下那須家はこの城を本城としてきたが、1514年（永正11）に下那須家は滅亡して那須氏は統一されたが、烏山城はその後も那須氏の居城となって存続した。その後、那須氏は宇都宮氏や常陸国の佐竹氏による攻撃をたびたび受け、城下まで攻め込まれることもあったが、城を保った。1590年（天正18）、那須氏は豊臣秀吉の北条氏攻め（小田原の役）に参陣しなかったことから、戦後秀吉に改易され、那須氏は断絶した。その後、城主として2ヵ月間と短期間ではあったが、織田信長の次男の織田信雄(のぶかつ)が入城したことがある。その後、武蔵忍城主の成田氏長が入封した後、那須資晴は徳川家康から旧領の5000石を与えられて那須家が再興され、その子資景にも5000石が与えられて大名に復帰し福原城の一郭に陣屋を設けた。しかし、後嗣がいないことを理由に除封となる。その後、那須家は増山正利の弟高春を養子に迎え、高春は那須資弥と改名して1681年（天和1）には烏山藩2万石の大名として、烏山城を居城とした。しかし、資弥にも嫡男がいなかったために家督争いが起こり、それを理由に1687年（貞享4）に、那須家は改易・断絶となった。その後、烏山藩は永井氏、稲垣氏ののちに、大久保常春が入封し、以後大久保氏が代々藩主をつとめて明治に至り、1869年（明治2）、版籍奉還に伴い烏山城は廃城になった。1872年（明治5）には積雪により三の丸御殿が倒壊し、1873年（明治6）には失火により古本丸、二の丸、中城、北城の建物が焼失してしまった。現在、城跡は県立自然公園となっているが、石垣・土塁などの遺構がよい状態で残っている。また、搦手門が同市内に移築され現存している。JR烏山線烏山駅から徒歩約5分。◇臥牛城とも呼ばれる。

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