Kashihara in Iga is located on the east side of the Taki River from the flatland to the foot of the mountain (now Kashihara, Akame-cho, Nabari City). It is said that the name of the place is due to the fact that it was a field overgrown with oak trees. The castle was the residence of the Takino clan, lords of Kashihara Village.
A large earthen mound was built at the tip of the hill leading to the foot of Mt. Takamagahara. The entire shape of the castle is unknown, as some of the surrounding areas have collapsed and become wasteland, but the original shape of the central part remains. The central part of the castle is a square of about 25 meters on each side, with a deep well in its eastern corner. It was built on a small stone mound with a further double mound of earth, with dry moats in front of it.
Kashihara Castle was the site of the last battle during the Second Tenshō Iga War, one of the battles between the Oda family and the various forces of Iga.
Before the Oda forces attacked, the forces of Nabari County and the northern part of Iga were driven back to the southwestern corner of Iga and gathered at Kashihara Castle. The forces assembled at this castle consisted of 438 samurai and about 1,200 people of low rank, for a total of about 1,600 people. In response, the Oda forces surrounded Kashihara Castle, and the advance guard of the Oda forces made the first attack, but after a fierce battle, they pulled back with many casualties.
Oda Nobukatsu (second son of Oda Nobunaga), a general of Oda’s army, thought that the Kashihara Castle was formidable and decided to use a strategy of starving the enemy and weakening them by cutting off their food supply. As mentioned above, Kashihara Castle was difficult terrain to attack, but because of the difference in troop strength, the besiegers must have thought they would die in the battle. However, at the recommendation of a performer of Sarugaku named Okura Gorōtsugu from Nara, the local samurai surrendered. This ended the Tensho Iga War.
