Japanese Castle guide in Japan castle Historical site Statue Introduction.

[Castle name]
Odani Castle
The Mountain Castle of Three Generations of The Azai Family,Whose Members Where Slewn By Nobunaga Oda, Including The Father and His Son, Nagamasa and Hisamasa.

【Description】
Odani castle was the residence of three generations of the Azai clan; Sukemasa,Hisamasa, and Nagamasa. It is currently located in Kohoku-Cho, Nagamasa,Shiga. The castle was built with a material called Honmaru or Kyoukyoumaru,stone and earthwork on the hillside of Mt. Kodani.

During the Sengoku era, the first of the Azai clan, Sukemasa, usurped the throne from the Kyougoku Clan, the Shugo (military governor) of Oumi at the time. The Azai clan ruled for three generations, ending with Nagamasa Azai who was killed by Nobunaga Oda. The Azai clan was previously an ally of the Oda clan because of a marriage between Nagamasa Azai and Nobunaga Oda’s younger sister
Oichi. They eventually became enemies when Nobunaga attacked and ally of the Azai, the Asakurashi clan, without permission.

After many battles and the major battle of Anegawa, the Azai clan was destroyed. Hideyoshi Hashiba, a disciple of Nomunaga, was given the Azai’s territory as a reward for his accomplishments in battle. He decided not to use the Odani castle as it was in a very inconvenient location, instead he built a castle by the Biwa lakeside in Nagahama.

Today, Odani castle is still intact and in its original location. It is now considered a historical landmark. It is number 49 of Japan’s Top 100 Castles.

[Address,access]
139 Odanigujōchō Nagahama-shi, Shiga-ken 529-0312, Japan

[Map]