Shimo Akasaka Castle Ruins

Chihayaakasaka, Osaka, Japan, Japan

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Shimo-Akasaka Castle (Shimo‑Akasaka‑jō), also simply called Akasaka Castle, is a ruined mountain castle located on Mount Kabutori in the village of Chihayaakasaka, Minamikawachi District, Osaka Prefecture, Japan.

Built in the late Kamakura period, it was a key stronghold of the loyalist general Kusunoki Masashige and served as a base for the Southern Court during the 14th‑century Nanboku‑chō wars, playing a major role in battles against the Northern Court forces before being captured in 1360. The castle is a yamajiro‑style mountain fortress perched on a ridge at about 186 meters elevation, designed as part of a defensive system with neighboring fortifications such as Kami‑Akasaka Castle and Chihaya Castle on Mount Kōngō.

Today the site is largely open ruins with only scattered earthworks, stone foundations, and a few monuments; the main enclosure (Honmaru) now houses the Chihayaakasaka Village Hall, and a monument marking the castle’s location stands near Chihayaakasaka Junior High School, while the lower slopes overlook famous terraced rice fields that are listed among Japan’s top 100 rice terraces.