Daihojo Castle

Japanese: 大宝城 - だいほうじょう

Hirajiro Castle was located in Shimotsuma City, Ibaraki Prefecture. It is a nationally designated historic site. It was the castle of the Shimotsuma clan, a branch of the Oyama clan. It is said to have been built by Shimotsuma Nagamasa in 1232 (Joei 1). It is a water castle built on high ground surrounded by Oota Lake on three sides, and is said to have been connected to the nearby Seki Castle ( Chikusei City) by boat. During the Nanboku-cho period, the lord of the castle, Shimotsuma Masayasu, belonged to the Southern Court, and Oota Castle was attacked by Kono Morofuyu and others of the Ashikaga Shogunate. In 1341 (Ryakuo 4/Kokoku 2), Oda Haruhisa, the lord of Oda Castle, where Kitabatake Chikafusa was holed up, surrendered to the Shogunate and opened the castle, so Chikafusa moved to Seki Castle, and Kasuga Akikuni entered Oota Castle accompanied by Prince Okinobu. The Shimotsuma clan, led by Akikuni and others, fought against the shogunate forces in cooperation with the Seki clan of Seki Castle, but their cooperation with Seki Castle was eventually cut off and the castle fell. In November 1344 (Koei 3), Kasuga Akikuni succeeded in recapturing Daiho Castle, but it was recaptured the next day and Akikuni was killed in battle. The area where Daiho Elementary School and Daiho Hachiman Shrine are located in the city is the former site of Daiho Castle, and only a few remains of the earthworks and dry moats remain. It is about a 15-minute walk from Daiho Station on the Kanto Railway Jōsō Line.

Source: Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japanese Castles Information

Japanese:

茨城県下妻市にあった平城(ひらじろ)。国指定史跡。小山氏の一族の下妻氏の居城。1232年（貞永1）に下妻長政が築いたとされる。三方を大宝沼に囲まれた高台に築かれた水城で、近隣の関城（筑西市）とは船で結ばれていたといわれる。南北朝時代に、城主の下妻政泰が南朝方に属したため、大宝城は足利幕府の高師冬(こうのもろふゆ)らの攻撃を受けた。1341年（暦応4／興国2）、北畠親房が籠城していた小田城の城主小田治久が幕府に降伏して城を開いたため、親房は関城に移り、春日顕国は興良親王を奉じて大宝城に入城した。下妻一族は顕国らを主将として、関城の関氏と連携しながら幕府軍に対抗したが、やがて関城との連携を断たれて落城した。1344年（康永3）11月、春日顕国は大宝城の奪還に成功したが、翌日には再奪還され、顕国は討ち死にした。同市内の大宝小学校や大宝八幡神社のある一帯がかつての大宝城跡で、土塁や空堀の跡がわずかに残っている。関東鉄道常総線大宝駅から徒歩約15分。

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