The Local Samurai Fought Bravely During the Tenshō Iga War
【Historical Site of Hijiyama Castle】
The battle of Hijiyama Furotani, where the Jizamurai (local samurai) of the Northern Iga were holed up and fought bravely during the Tenshō Iga War, is well-known.
According to “三国地誌 Sangoku Chishi”, “Hijiyama is also called Atagoyama. There are ruins of a temple where the Kannon statue (Goddess of Mercy) used to be located, but it was abandoned.
The temple was surrounded by many fences and “逆茂木 Sakamogi” (a strategy to keep enemies away by lining up sharp trees outside at defensive points on the battlefield), and a gateway was set up and turrets (to monitor and attack enemies from a high position and to store weapons) were built. On the top of the mountain, two turrets were set up, one to the south called Asayamaru and guarded by General Fukukita, and the other to the north called Nagatamaru and guarded by Momota Tōbei. After fierce battles, they were defeated, set on fire, and fled to Tayama and Yagyu.
From the monument of “Daisho-kangiten,” the Hijiyama Fortress can be seen clearly.
