Sunset and Sunrise from Gassan Toda castle

The view from the ruins of Gassan Toda Castle make it clear why the site was chosen for the castle.

To the north the Hirose River runs into the Nakaumi at Yasugi.

It must have looked quite different at night when the castle still stood, before the advent of electric light.

This was the second time I had slept out here, though since my first visit a structure had been built so I could sleep under a roof.

Time to head down the mountain and begin day 8 of my Izumo 33 Pilgrimage....

Gassan Toda Castle

Gassan, at only 184 meters above sea level is not particularly high, but its shape makes it an obvious choice for a castle, so its not surprising that there was one here for about 1,000 years.

Gassan Toda castle is classified as one of the top 100 castles in Japan, and one of the top 3 mountain castles of the Sengoku period. It is most strongly associated with the Amago Clan who ruled over a large territory

Gradually the Amago lost ground to the Mori Clan, until eventually the Amago made their last stand here.
The castle withstood a first siege, but fell during a second siege, and if I remember correctly it was due to treachery by one of the Amago vassals. It seems that an awful lot of battles were won by vassals switching sides. So much for bushido and loyalty, treachery seems to be the norm.

In 1600 Ieyasu gave the domain to Yoshiharu Horio, but he decided to move his headquarters to what is now Matsue so he dismantled Gassan Toda and used it in the construction of Matsue Castle.

Since the last time I was here they have built a couple of small reconstructed buildings, including one right on top of the mountain where the keep once stood. Last time I slept out here I slept on a bench. Now I have a roof.

Suga Shrine, Hirose

Across the river from where Gassan Toda castle once stood are two torii, the left goes up to Toda Hachimangu, the main shrine for the Amago lords that ruled from the castle until they were defeaed by the Mori and the domain moved its headquarters to what is now Matsue.

The right hand steps lead up to a branch of Suga Shrine, the main shrine being somewhat west of here.
Both Toda hachimangu and this Suga shrine appear almost abandoned.

The porch of the main building has some really nice carving......

Suga shrines enshrine Susano and his wife Kushinada....