War of Arioka-jo Castle (有岡城の戦い)
The War of Arioka-jo Castle was a siege conducted in the period from August 1578 to November 17, 1579. It started from a sudden rebellion by Murashige ARAKI, who belonged to Nobunaga ODA.
It is also called 'War of the Itami-jo Castle.'
It is also famous as a war after which Nobunaga ODA slaughtered women and children who had been kept as hostages.
Details of the outbreak of the war
In August, Murashige ARAKI who joined the Battle of Miki belonging to the troops of Hideyoshi HASHIBA, suddenly left the front line and returned to his residential castle, Arioka-jo Castle (also called Itami-jo Castle). He raised a rebellion against Nobunaga ODA.
According to "Sengoku Kassen Daijiten" (literally, "Encyclopedia of battles in the Sengoku period"), it is recorded as 'There are many unclear points about the cause of the rebellion.'
It is said that Murashige ARAKI was from the branch family of the Hatano clan and his territory was 370,000 koku and he was appointed by Nobunaga ODA to Settsu no Kuni Shugo (Provincial Constable of Settsu Province). According to "Intokuki" (the war chronicle of the Sengoku period in Chugoku region), it was rumored that Murashige ARAKI, who clandestinely consorted with the troops of the Mori clan, carried army provisions into Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple which had been fighting with Nobunaga ODA in Ishiyama War. There is another view telling that when he visited Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple as a negotiator for peace by the order of Nobunaga ODA, he saw with his own eyes hardship in the castle, and he supplied on his discretion 100 koku (approx. 18 cubic meters) of rice in order to carry out negotiation for this favor. According to "Bukoyawa" (literally, "evening tales on glory in war"), as Todayu KANKI, who was the betrayer from the inside of the castle in the siege warfare of the Kanki-jo Castle, was an old friend of Murashige ARAKI, Hideyoshi HASHIBA permitted to spare Todayu KANKI's life after the fall of the castle. Immediately after that, however, Todayu KANKI fled to Nagaharu BESSHO's place and confronted with the troops of Hideyoshi HASHIBA. It introduced the view that, as Todayu KANKI fled to Nagaharu BESSHO's place without any hesitation, it was suspected that Todayu KANKI and Murashige ARAKI had contact with each other, and Murashige ARAKI was also suspected. Since there were so many different views, the real truth of why Murashige ARAKI raised the rebellion is not clear.
Nobunaga ODA, who was astonished by Murashige ARAKI's rebellion, dispatched Mitsuhide AKECHI, Yukan MATSUI and Shigemoto MANMI to Arioka-jo Castle as emissaries for examination. It has been considered that Mitsuhide AKECHI was chosen as an emissary due to the relation as a relative because his daughter had married Muratsugu ARAKI. Murashige ARAKI, who accepted once the words of the emissaries including Mitsuhide AKECHI and departed Arioka-jo Castle to visit Azuchi-jo Castle and make explanation by himself offering his mother as a hostage, dropped at Ibaraki-jo Castle.
According to "Tateiri Sakyonosuke Nyudo Ryusa-ki" (Record by Munetsugu TATEIRI), he was held up by Kiyohide NAKAGAWA as 'It is out of question to visit Azuchi-jo Castle. It is better to fight in the Settsu Province rather than to visit Azuchi-jo Castle and forced to commit harakiri.'
There were certain persons in Nobunaga ODA's troops who did not like Murashige ARAKI's advancement. Fujitaka HOSOKAWA had submitted to Nobunaga ODA a document called bohan sankajo (literally, three sentences proving rebellion) telling as 'Murashige has an intention to raise rebellion' to warn Nobunaga ODA. There were certain persons in Nobunaga ODA's troops who envied and Murashige ARAKI made it clear that he raised his rebellion because of his fear for suspicious nature of Nobunaga ODA.
Before confronting Nobunaga ODA, Murashige ARAKI had submitted hostages and written an oath to Yoshiakira ASHIKAGA, Terumoto MORI and Kennyo to promise alliance.
According to "Honganji bunsho," written oath to Kennyo read as follows:
After joining the group of Hongan-ji Temple, he should consult with Hongan-ji Temple about everything and be friendly to it. 1. He should accept requirements of Hongan-ji Temple. Nobunaga ODA should be defeated and, regardless what might happen to situations of the world, the Hongan-ji Temple should not run out on ARAKI.
2. The Hongan-ji Temple should not put its nose into his governance. There was no objection on governance of the Hongan-ji Temple. Peasant followers (believers) of Hongan-ji Temple should be governed by ARAKI. The Hongan-ji Temple should not intervene.
3. Needless to say about the Settsu Province, the Hongan-ji Temple should not intervene in governance of desired provinces. As he remains faithful to the shogunate and the Mori clan, the Hongan-ji Temple should try its best so that the wish could be realized. With respect to ronin (masterless samurai) followers who had been fighting with ARAKI, the Hongan-ji Temple should make them stop fighting.
The daughter of Mitsuhide AKECHI who had married Muratsugu ARAKI was divorced and sent back to Mitsuhide AKECHI. Having received this news, Nobunaga ODA sent Naokatsu FUKUTOMI, Nobumori SAKUMA, and, on December 11, 1578, made Mitsuhide AKECHI, Yukan MATSUI and Hideyoshi HASHIBA to visit Ariake-jo Castle. Murashige ARAKI replied that he had no ambition, but refused Nobunaga's requirement to submit his mother as a hostage and the chasm became decisive. Later, Yoshitaka KURODA visited the Arioka-jo Castle alone, and it has been understood that he captured and confined in jail Yoshitaka Kuroda with consideration to Masamoto ODERA, with whom he had the alliance.
State of the battle
War between the parties became decisive and Murashiga ARAKI posted in a wide range as follows:
Castle: Arioka-jo Castle (main castle); castellan: Murashige ARAKI
Castle: Amagasaki-jo Castle (main castle); castellan: Muratsugu ARAKI
Castle: Owada-jo Castle; castellan: Nizaemon ABE
Castle: Suita-jo Castle; castellan: Murauji SUITA
Castle: Takatsuki-jo Castle; castellan: Ukon TAKAYAMA
Castle: Ibaraki-jo Castle; castellan: Kiyohide NAKAGAWA
Castle: Tada-jo Castle; castellan: Kunimitsu SHIOKAWA
Castle: Nose-jo Castle; castellan: Yorimichi NOSE
Castle: Sanda-jo Castle; castellan: Shigekata ARAKI
Castle: Hanakuma-jo Castle; castellan: Muramasa ARAKI
These were castles which Nobunaga ODA ordered Murashiga ARAKI to build or repair in order to prepare an encirclement for the Ishiyama War. On the other hand, Nobunaga ODA might have thought that to make enemies of both of the Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple and Murashige ARAKI and sent Sadakatsu MURAI as an emissary to Ishiyama-Hongan-ji Temple for making overtures of peace. Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple replied that they needed to have consent from the Mori clan and the overture could not be accepted immediately. Under such situations, Nobunaga ODA received a good news. In the second battle of Kizugawaguchi on December 14, 1578, an iron-armored ship made a sortie and defeated the navy of the Mori clan bitterly. Troops of the Oda clan might think that war capability of Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple somehow decreased because of blockage of supply route and, on December 17, 1578, a troop of 50,000 soldiers charged forward to Oyamazaki-cho located on the border of Yamashiro Province and Settsu Province.
On December 18, the next day, Kazumasu TAKIGAWA, Mitsuhide AKECHI, Yoritaka HACHIYA, Naoshige UJIIE, Iganokami IGA and so on seiged Ibaraki-jo Castle on one hand and tried breaking down of the troops of Murashige ARAKI on the other hand. Taking advantage of the fact that Ukon TAKAYAMA, who was the castellan of the Takatsuki-jo Castle and was a Christian daimyo (Christian feudal lord), Nobunaga ODA sent Gnecchi-Soldo Organtino, who was a missionary, as an emissary and threatened Ukon TAKAYAMA that unless he would surrender immediately, all missionaries and believers in the territory would be crucified and churches would be burnt. As Nobunaga ODA had killed 3,000 persons including noncombatants in the fire attack against Mt. Hiei (1571), it did not seem just a threat. Ukon TAKAYAMA surrendered to Nobunaga ODA. Then, Kiyohide NAKAGAWA of Ibaraki-jo Castle who had insisted to fight surrendered and three castles, Owada-jo Castle, Nose-jo Castle and Sanda-jo Castle, changed the side to Nobunaga ODA, Murashige ARAKI got quarantined.
Under the circumstances, Nobunaga ODA judged that the war situation was favorable for him, and discontinued peace talks with Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple. On December 22, 1578, troops of Kazumasu TAKIGAWA, Mitsuhide AKECHI, Yoritaka HACHIYA, Naoshige UJIIE, Iganokami IGA, Yoshimichi INABA, Hideyoshi HASHIBA and Fujitaka HOSOKAWA and the vanguard of the troops of Murashige ARAKI crashed.
The situation at that time is described in "Shinchoko-ki" (Biography of Nobunaga ODA) as follows:
"After sending out ashigarutai (foot soldier units), Soemon MUTO and his subordinates rushed into the enemy line. Soemon fought on horse back with samurai of the Itami side and obtained four heads and returned victorious to Amagasaki. Many soldiers of the Oda clan blocked activities of the castle side by setting fire in the neighborhood of Itami-jo Castle to eliminate defilades.
After that, Nobunaga ODA also moved his headquarters to Koikeda (Ikeda-jo Castle) facing Arioka-jo Castle across the Ina-gawa River and seiged Arioka-jo Castle. Ikeda-jo Castle was the former residential castle of Murashige ARAKI and it is believed that the castle was an abandoned castle at that time. Nobunaga used it as his headquarters. Among troops of Nobunaga ODA, troops of Kazumasu TAKIGAWA and Nagahide NIWA, which acted as detached forces, burnt down Suma in Hyogo on January 11, 1579 and took up their position in the vicinity of Tsukaguchi.
Full-scale attack to the castle began around six o'clock in the evening on January 15, 1579. At first, musket troops of Nobunaga ODA fired at random at Arioka-jo Castle and shooting units set fire to townhouses. As Arioka-jo Castle was a sogamae castle (castle surrounded with a wall with castle town inside the wall), which was a rare case in the Sengoku Period (Japan), and the defense was tight, however, troops of Nobunaga ODA could not bring down partly because of darkness in the night. On the other hand, by around ten o'clock in the night when the battle ended, troops of Nobunaga ODA had lost many close vassals including Shigemoto MANMI and 2,000 soldiers. After that, Nobunaga ODA strengthened the defense around Arioka-jo Castle and returned his headquarters to Koikeda on January 18, 1579, and he himself returned to Azuchi-jo Castle on January 22, 1579. In "Shinchoko-ki," the amount of descriptions about Arioka-jo Castle decreases and descriptions about Nobunaga ODA enjoying falconry increases.
Judging from this "Machiwo hoka soronari" (name of an exhibition?; literally, setting fire to town), it was explained as 'Nobunaga decided to switch to a long drawn-out battle.'
It is believed that, as damages from the battle of January 15, 1579, were unexpectedly big, he changed from attack to the castle to starvation tactics.
Arioka-jo Castle was a big castle that spread for 400 meters east and west and 600 meters north and south. By research by excavation, a stone wall was found below the earthwork of Arioka-jo Castle and, as there were diverted stones such as tombstones, it attracted attention as possible forerunner of stonewall. It is said that Arioka-jo Castle was the first castle in Japan that had a keep and in its precincts there are Inano-jinja Shrine, Fort Jorozuka, Fort Hiyodorizuka, Fort Koyaguchi and so on and it was a strong castle. In contrast, according to "Shinchoko-ki," troops of Nobunaga ODA took up position by digging ditches double and triple, providing walls and fences to guard tightly forming a fort-like structure against Arioka-jo Castle.
Troops of Nobunaga ODA took up position in a wide area spreading from Arima to Yamazaki and the war seemed to be becoming a prolonged war.
Murashige ARAKI expected backup by troops of the Mori clan and Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple, but no reinforcement units appeared. As they were running out of provisions, in order to boost the morale of soldiers, a night raid was conducted to Fort Kamo which troops of Nobutada ODA defended immediately after New Year's days in 1579. In Fort Kamo, 3,000 soldiers from Mino Province and Omi Province headed by Nobutada ODA took up a position. Murashige ARAKI assumed command of 500 solders and made a sortie from Fort Kitanotoride and set fire from the left side of Fort Kamo approximately three cho (3,272 meters) away and attacked with swords and so on. Troops laying in wait in east slew fleeing enemy soldiers. Soldiers who were in Fort Toneyama knew the sudden attack to Fort Kamo hurried to help the troops of Nobutada ODA but horses and provisions had been already robbed and Fort Kamo had burst into flames. Although the head of Nobutada ODA was safe, news that 'Troops of Murashiga ARAKI was strong' was communicated even to Kyoto so that imayo (popular style of song since Heian period) became popular. After that, guard against attack was strengthened in troops of Nobunaga ODA and Nobunaga ODA himself visited the area of Arioka-jo Castle for urging soldiers to fight vigorously. Under such situations, on May 23, 1579, it seems that troops from Arioka-jo Castle made a sortie and three soldiers from Arioka-jo Castle were killed. After that, details of progress of the war are not known until October.
In the middle of the night on October 2, 1579, Murashige ARAKI took along five to six close aides and moved to Amagasaki-jo Castle (Daimotsu-jo Castle) where his son, Muratsugu ARAKI lived by shooting the Ina-gawa River by a boat under the cover of night. "Intoku Taiheki" (old chronicle) described the situation at that time as "He departed Arioka-jo Castle secretly. He made his attendant, Sukesaburo INUI carry a chatsubo (jar for tea leaves) of inherited for generations on his back and he was accompanies by a girl, who was called Ako and served always around him."
"Sengoku no Bushotachi" (literally, Commanders in Sengoku Period) gave an explanation that this person called 'Ako' could be Murashige's concubine who was a female warrior who guarded Murashige's security.
Fujitaka HOSOKAWA, who had believed that 'Murashige had an intention to raise rebellion,' criticized Murashige ARAKI, who suddenly abandoned the castle and family and did a moonlight flit with tea utensils, by composing a tanka meaning 'Although Araki drew a bow against his lord, but a nock was out of order, he could not stay in Arioka-jo Castle.'
Certain views understood that he fled holding his life dear, but "Intoku Taiheiki" understood as follows:
"Araki's senior retainers gathered together and tried to convince Murashige that, judging from the situations in the castle, hope for obtaining reinforcement troops from the Mori clan became unbelievable and, since Murashige had wasted time in vain, provisions ran low. As we cannot further continue such situations, you, the lord, go out to Amagasaki and negotiate with commanders of Chugoku Province and saigoku (western part of Japan, especially Kyushu, but ranging as far east as Kinki), they would send reinforcement troops. They recommended Murashige with one voice that he should, at first, go out of the castle secretly and concoct a resourceful strategy. Murashige heard this and thought that the opinion was reasonable and decided to go out of the castle secretly and concoct a resourceful strategy for the sake of his family and soldiers."
It is explained that the castellan might have judged that, because, same as in the case of Miki-jo Castle, the Mori clan promised to send reinforcement troops and supplied provisions through Hanakuma-jo Castle and Amagasaki-jo Castle, but no reinforcement troops did come even after one year, it was impossible to maintain if the situation remained as it was and, because sending subordinates as emissaries did not bring any result, the castellan decided to visit Aki Province by himself and directly negotiate with the Mori clan.
"Sengoku no Bushotachi" describes that 'tea utensils could be understood as calling presents to Mori.'
Murashige ARAKI's escape was kept secret for a while, but it was found by a spy of Nobunaga ODA and, on October 12, 1579, a half of the troops around Arioka-jo Castle was sent to Amagasaki-jo Castle with Nobutada ODA as the commander in chief. On the other hand, Kazumasu TAKIGAWA commenced a stratagem. The fact of Murashige ARAKI's escape was used tactfully to convince Shinpachiro NAKANISHI, the general, and Heishiro MIYAWAKI, the adjutant general, who were in Fort Jorozuka and he succeeded in convincing them to change sides. Kazumasu TAKIGAWA was one of the best commanders at that time who was praised as 'Takigawa is the best to advance, and Takigawa is the best to retreat,' with excellent talent for carrying out stratagem.
Around ten o'clock in the night on November 13, 1579, troops of Nobunaga ODA commenced to mount a full-scale attack on Arioka-jo Castle. Soldiers of Arioka-jo Castle were posted immediately to each fort to prepare for battles. Troops of Kazumasa TAKIGAWA which rushed to Fort Jorozuka could enter into the castle without any resistance. This was not only because of betrayal of Shinpachiro NAKANISHI and Heishiro MIYAWAKI, but also because a certain number of ashigaru taisho (samurai in command of a troop of foot soldiers) of the garrison force had been convinced by Shinpachiro NAKANISHI and so on.
Although Arioka-jo Castle was a sogamae castle, it was weak against attack from the inside. All garrisons were killed one by one and Kantaro WATANABE, the general of Fort Kitanotoride and Tango NOMURA, and the general of Fort Hiyodorizuka made a proposal of surrendering, but refused and they committed suicide by harakiri. Saiga shu (Ikko groups), which were reinforcement troops, were not good at close combat and totally wiped out. A Sogamae castle has many residential houses of farmers and townspeople inside the castle wall. Troops of Nobunaga ODA set fire to the inside of the castle and the flames spread from the townhouse section to samurai's residences. Noncombatants fled to ninomaru (second bailey), but as troops of Nobunaga ODA rushed into Ninomaru, they retracted to honmaru (the keep of the castle). Honmaru was surrounded with moats on three sides and the southern side faced to ninomaru across karabori (dry moat) and even troops of Nobunaga ODA could not make their way into honmaru.
On November 17, 1579, Kyuzaemon ARAKI, who had been acting as a chief for defense of the castle, made his mind to surrender. Nobuzumi ODA entered into honmaru leading troops for seizure. With this, the battles of the War of Arioka-jo Castle ended.
Impacts after the war
The reason why Kyuzaemon ARAKI made his mind to surrender was that Nobunaga ODA made a peace proposal on condition that, if Murashige ARAKI would surrender Amagasaki-jo Castle and Hanakuma-jo Castle, lives of family members and subordinates in honmaru would be saved. Kyuzaemon ARAKI visited Amagasaki-jo Castle accompanied by 300 warriors, but Murashiga ARAKI would not accept this proposal. According to "Sengoku no Bushotachi," as there were observers of the Mori clan, Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple and Saigashu were in Amagasaki-jo Castle at that time, Murashige ARAKI's opinion was not accepted. Kyuzaemon ARAKI who promised to convince Murashige ARAKI, perhaps feeling that he could not face Nobunaga ODA, disappeared into thin air together with 300 soldiers.
Situations at that time are described in "Shinchoko-ki" as follows:
Amagasaki-jo Castle and Hanakuma-jo Castle were not surrendered on that occasion and it was a case never heard before that well-known reputed samurai abandon their wives and children as well as brothers and saved only they themselves. Remaining wives and children heard this and some moaned for wrench of parting telling that they could not tell if they are awake or asleep, and some took in young children and there was a lady who was pregnant. The scene in which they writhed in agony and wept was a sad plight. Even all lionhearted samurai could not stop tears in their eyes as they were not a rock or wood.
Hearing this report, Nobunaga ODA said, "Having heard this, I feel a pity for them, but in order to punish sycophants, we should kill hostages in Yamazaki."
Sycophants' means Murashige ARAKI, Kyuzaemon ARAKI who did not keep his word, and so on, and although he felt pity, he ordered to execute all hostages telling 'Araki family are not samurai.'
Nobunaga ODA had conducted genocidal killing in the cases of the fire attack against Mt. Hiei, Nagashima ikkoikki (an uprising of Ikko sect followers in Nagashima), and Echizen ikkoikki, and as similar execution was conducted in this case also, certain of Nobunaga ODA's troops inclined their heads. However, Nobunaga ODA did not change his decision and 36 persons from Araki family and senior vassals were sent to Myoken-ji Temple. Around nine o'clock in the morning on January 9, 1580, hostages in honmaru of Arioka-jo Castle were sent to Nanatsumatsu where Nobutada ODA had taken up a position and 97 crosses were erected and 122 wives and children of subordinates were made to wear festive dress and killed with guns. After that, 124 men and 388 women were put into four farmhouses and burnt alive with the farmhouses. Situations at that time are described in "Shinchoko-ki" as follows, and disastrous situations at their mortal moment can be imagined.
As wind chopped about, they moved up and down like a fish jumps and heaved because of very hot flame and jumped up and voice of sorrow sounded to the sky going up with smoke and it was like jailer's torture. They lost their guts and nobody observed for two days. Misery could not be expressed sufficiently.'
On the other hand, 36 persons moved to Myoken-ji Temple, departed Myoken-ji Temple around nine o'clock in the morning on January 9, 1580, and after public exposure in the city of Kyoto were beheaded at Rokujogawara. Jinen ARAKI (14 years old), who was a son of Kyuzaemon ARAKI, and Hayatonosuke ARAKI's wife (20 years old) who was pregnant were included among them.
After that Murashiga ARAKI left Amagasaki-jo Castle and moved to Hanakuma-jo Castle in December. Then, the battle of Hanakuma-jo Castle was conducted and he was defeated again here and exiled himself to the territory of the Mori clan.
Yoshitaka KURODA
This war is also famous for the fact that Yoshitaka KURODA was imprisoned for approximately one year. The place where Yoshitaka KURODA was confined was located in the northwestern part of Arioka-jo Castle backed with deep marsh and surrounded by bamboo thickets on the other three sides and no sunshine reached the place and it was very humid. Yoshitaka KURODA had proffered his son, Nagamasa KURODA as hostage to Nobunaga ODA. Nobunaga ODA assumed that Yoshitaka KURODA, who went to Arioka-jo Castle alone, betrayed him and ordered Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI to kill Nagamasa KURODA. On that occasion, Shigeharu TAKENAKA stepped forward telling that he would do that job and went to Nagahama-jo Castle (Omi Province) and moved Nagamasa KURODA to Bodaisan-jo Castle in his territory and gave shelter to him there against Nobunaga ODA's order.
The place where Yoshitaka KURODA was imprisoned was not a pleasant place and his skin lost all moisture and he got handicapped for his lifetime with his knee bent. His only peace of mind was the wisteria which he could see from his jail. Shoots come out, and small birds come flying for the nectar of the flower. As he could not forget this scene for his life, he chose wisteria arranged in circular form for the family crest of the Kuroda family when he became a daimyo later. His subordinates in Himeji-jo Castle were devising a rescue project. Toshiyasu KURIYAMA, Tahei MORI, Kurojiro INOUE and so on dressed as merchants and sneaked into Arioka-jo Castle and identified the place where Yoshitaka KURODA was imprisoned. They succeeded also to bring the jail keeper into their side and, after that, they could visit the jail freely. When full-scale attack was commenced on November 13, 1579, Toshiyasu KURIYAMA and so on succeeded in helping him out of the jail taking advantage of confusion and three persons carried him on their back by turns and moved toward Arima-Onsen Hot Spring and he stayed there until he recovered his physical strength and, later, he met Hideyoshi HASHIBA in Himeji-jo Castle. Hideyoshi HASHIBA was astonished by the drastic change of Yoshitaka KURODA and cried bitterly 'begging pardon' to Yoshitaka KURODA. Nobunaga ODA, who knew the truth later, regretted very much that he killed Nagamasa KURODA telling that 'he lacked insight,' and he was very glad to know that Nagamasa KURODA was alive thanks to ready wit of Shigeharu TAKENAKA.
However, Shigeharu TAKENAKA had already died in the camp for the war of the Miki-jo Castle
Kannoji-jo Castle; Jurinji-jo Castle
In addition to battles which were conducted at Arioka-jo Castle and its neighborhood, certain battles were conducted in Rokko mountains in relation to the war of Arioka-jo Castle. Although not even a single soldier of reinforcement troops of the Mori clan came, provisions had been supplied. At the beginning, provisions were landed to Amagasaki-jo Castle and sent to Arioka-jo Castle, but as forts of troops of Nobunaga ODA were constructed one by one, the supply route via Amagasaki became inoperable. After that, goods which were landed to Hanakuma-jo Castle were stored in Kannoji-jo Castle, Jurinji-jo Castle and caves in Takarazuka and the route to carry to Arioka-jo Castle in the night by crossing Koyano. Kannoji-jo Castle and Jurinji-jo Castle were subsidiary castles of Koshimizu-jo Castle at the age of Nagayoshi MIYOSHI and, because Koshimizu-jo Castle had been abandoned already before the time of this war, it is understood that those castles were subsidiary castles of Arioka-jo Castle. It is considered that Kanno-ji Temple at that time had many sacred buildings in the area wider than today and had a good view of Ikeda City, Toyonaka City and Amagasaki City and, according to "Kyodo no Shiro Monogatari" (literally, story of castles in home town), it is recorded that Kannoji-jo Castle and Jurinji-jo Castle were castles for signal fire and used to inform movements of troops of Nobunaga ODA with signal fire. It is not known whether it was for blocking the supply route or destroying castles for signal fire, but, according to "Shinchoko-ki," Nobunaga ODA got angry and said "It is an outrageous thing to do the act without permission" and sent troops to Rokko mountains, Kannoji-jo Castle and Jurinji-jo Castle.
Situations at that time are described in "Shinchoko-ki" as 'continuing without end to search in mountains and cut down people and rob provisions and so on at will.'
They repeated robbery and temples in Rokko mountains which were used as bases for supply other than Kannoji-jo Castle and Jurinji-jo Castle were found and burnt.