Torigoe Castle and the End of the Kingdom of Peasants

Summary:

Torigoe Castle was the final resistance point of the Kaga Ikko Ikki. The castle itself was likely established to defend against Oda Nobunaga’s invading army. The castle was able to defeat Nobunaga’s army once in 1580, due to skilled gun use. However, after tricking the lord of the castle, Suzuki Dewanokami, Nobunaga was able to overthrow the castle. Despite this, locals once again overtook the castle in 1581, only to be wiped out by Nobunaga’s army in 1582, officially ending the last resistance of the Kaga Ikko Ikki. 

The End of the Kingdom of Peasants

By 1573, Oda Nobunaga’s army had seized Echizen, with their eyes set on taking over Kaga. Worried about an impending attack, the Ikko sect in southern Kaga began increasing their defenses. It is believed that Futoge Castle (opposite of Torigoe Castle) was fortified, and Torigoe Castle was built after this, in anticipation of invasion. 

The Torigoe Castle, located high on a mountain crest, allowed good views up and down both the Tedori River and Dainichi River valleys. The Futoge Castle was located on a hill near the valley pass toward current Komatsu City. Furthermore, the allied Funaoka Castle was located several kilometers downstream, at the entrance of the river valley. This meant that on all sides, the local Ikko sect could easily detect an incoming invasion. 

In 1576, Uesugi Kenshin had broken his alliance with Nobunaga, and formed an alliance with Ishiyama Honganji Temple and its followers (the Ikko sect). Kenshin went on to overthrow the Nanao Castle, cutting off Nobunaga’s allies that had been residing there. The Nobunaga army, attempting to rejoin with their Nanao allies, tried to cross the Tedori River in southern Kaga in 1577. However, Kenshin’s army came to meet them, and by unleashing a floodgate, was able to kill about 1,000 men, leading to Nobunaga’s retreat. 

Nobunaga’s army in Osaka was continuing to fight the Ishiyama Honganji War, where he was attempting to take over Honganji Temple in order to defeat the Ikko sect. By 1580, the temple was beginning to weaken, and it is thought that Suzuki Dewanokami was sent to lead, or chose to lead Torigoe Castle during this time. 

Nobunaga’s army invaded Kaga again, and managed to overthrow the Oyama Gobō Temple, officially taking over the Kaga Ikko Sect. The Temple fortress was taken over by the Maeda Clan, who went on to lead the Kaga Domain for the next 200 years. Despite the fall of the temple, Suzuki Dewanokami’s army still resided in Torigoe Castle in resistance. Nobunaga’s army then targeted Torigoe Castle, and fought against Suzuki’s army, however, they were defeated thanks to Suzuki’s skilled use of guns – which were rare at that time in Japan. 

Meanwhile, Nobunaga convinced the 11th head priest of the Ishiyama Honganji Temple, Kennyo, to surrender. Kennyo sent a letter to Suzuki, telling him of the surrender, and asking him and his army to meet at Matto Castle to discuss the terms of surrender. However, the meeting was a trap, and Shibata Katsuie, one of Nobunaga’s leading generals, attacked Suzuki’s army and killed them all. The heads of Suzuki and his 19 generals were sent to Nobunaga to be displayed on the streets. 

Following this, Katsuie and his army took over Futoge and Torigoe Castles, deploying 300 people in each castle. However, before the troops could fully regain their strength, in February of 1581, the local peasants overthrew the army and re-took Torigoe Castle. This led to back and forth battles where Katsuie and his army once again overthrew the castle, but the local resistance fought back and took over one more time. 

The locals continued to control the castle for the next year until March 1582, when Nobunaga sent his army one final time, and every single person in the castle was massacred. The battle was so terrifying that it is said that for the next 3 years, not a single soul dared to live in Torigoe, and everyone had fled deeper into the mountains. Even now, you can find many locations that include the word kakure (hiding place) scattered throughout the Mt. Hakusan foothills. 

The Lord of Torigoe Castle

The lord of Torigoe Castle, as confirmed in historical records, was Suzuki Dewanokami. Both the “Suzuki Family Genealogy” of Komatsu City and the “Lineage History Document” that was compiled in the early modern period (1573-1868) describe the genealogy of the Suzuki clan from Fuji-shiro, located in the Kishū region (present day Wakayama Prefecture and the southern part of Mie Prefecture).

There are two theories regarding how Suzuki Dewanokami became connected to this area: the “local Torigoe origin” theory and the “origin from Saika, Kishū” theory. The “local Torigoe origin” theory comes from the fact that there are many place names related to him, including a historical place called “the site of the lord’s manor” located at the base of the Futoge Castle ruins. This theory suggests that Futoge Ukyōshin, Suzuki Dewanokami’s father or grandfather, who resided at Futoge Castle, expanded their sphere of influence, built Torigoe Castle, and made Futoge Castle a branch castle. 

The Saika Kishū theory suggests that, members of the Suzuki Magoichi family of the Saika-shū group, (potential relatives of Suzuki Dewanokami who had long-standing ties to the Kumano region in Kishū) were dispatched via the Kanazawa Gobō Temple to lead the Honganji Temple followers at the foot of Mt. Hakusan, under the order of the 11th head priest, Kennyo, who resided at Ishiyama Honganji Temple. 

As the construction date of Torigoe Castle ruins remains unclear, it is extremely difficult to determine which theory is correct.

Ikko Ikki Festival

At the Ikko Ikki Festival held every year in August, people used to dress as warriors and members of the Ikko sect to march in procession, with Suzuki Dewanokami at the forefront.

Nowadays, the festival is still held in August each year, but is celebrated with food and drink stalls, a memorial service, the lighting of 10,000 candles in memory of those who fought and died during the Ikko Ikki battles, a dance, and fireworks.