Kii Castle

The remains of an ancient mountain castle (Yamajiro) are located across Kiyama Town, Miyaki County, Saga Prefecture, and Chikushino City, Fukuoka Prefecture. It is also written as Ki Castle. In 663 (the second year of Emperor Tenchi's reign), Japan was defeated by the allied forces of Tang and Silla in the Battle of Baekgang to rescue Baekje. This so-called Korean-style mountain castle was built in 665 by Baekje immigrants Okuraifukuru and Shihifukubu along with Ono Castle as a frontline base for the defense of Dazaifu and the entire country after Japan was defeated by the allied forces of Tang and Silla in the Battle of Baekje to rescue Baekje. A 4.3-kilometer-long earthwork runs around the ridge of Mt. Kiyama (404 meters above sea level), with three castle gates on the north and south sides and a large water gate measuring 1 meter wide, 1.4 meters high, and 10 meters long at the mouth of the valley on the southern side. Furthermore, by the time of the survey for the preservation and management plan in 1978, 12 groups of 32 buildings with foundation stones had been confirmed within the earthen ramparts. In 1954, it was designated a special historic site.

[Masashi Sakayori]

"Research on the Dazaifu Capital by Takeshi Kagamiyama (1968, Kazama Shobo)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

佐賀県三養基(みやき)郡基山(きやま)町および福岡県筑紫野(ちくしの)市にまたがって所在する古代の山城(やまじろ)遺跡。椽(き)城とも書く。663年（天智天皇2）百済(くだら)救援のための白村江(はくそんこう)の戦いで、日本が唐・新羅(しらぎ)の連合軍に敗北したのを契機に、大宰府防衛さらには全土防衛の最前線基地として、665年百済系渡来人憶礼福留(おくらいふくる)、四比福夫(しひふくぶ)によって大野城とともに築かれたいわゆる朝鮮式山城。基山（標高404メートル）を中心に、4.3キロメートルに及ぶ土塁が尾根を巡り、南北に3か所の城門と南辺の谷口に幅1メートル、高さ1.4メートル、長さ10メートルの大規模な水門が設けられている。また1978年（昭和53）の保存管理計画の調査時点までに、土塁内には12群32棟の礎石建物群が確認されている。1954年特別史跡に指定された。

［酒寄雅志］

『鏡山猛著『大宰府都城の研究』（1968・風間書房）』

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