Kannonji Castle

The ruins of Kannonji Castle (観音寺城, Kannonji-jō) are located on the ridgeline of Mount Kinugasa in the town of Azuchi, Shiga Prefecture, not far from the ruins of Azuchi Castle. At the castle site, the ruins of stone walls, a stone-lined well, and a historical signboard can be found. The castle was named after Kannonsho-ji, a Buddhist temple near the peak of the mountain.

History

During the Sengoku period, the Sasaki (佐々木) family, or "Rokkaku clan", was appointed to a position as a constabulary authority over Ōmi and other nearby provinces by the Ashikaga shogunate in Kyoto, and a castle was needed as an administrative center and military rallying point. The ridged peak of Kinugasa Mountain, where Kannonsho-ji was already located, was selected as the new site. A castle from that lofty position would command a view of the plains below and would serve as a symbol of power in the region. Construction of the castle was completed in 1468, and was originally named Sasaki Castle.