Ashikisan-jo Fortress Ruins
| Location | City of Chikushino |
|---|---|
| Designation | National Historical Site |
| Emblem |  |
An ancient mountain fortress located at the northern foot of Mount Miyaji, south of Dazaifu, this fortress existed during the same period as Ono-jo Fortress and Kii-jo Fortress.
Stone forts made using finely processed stone and earthwork structures made by tamping layers of earth shows the introduction of technology that was advanced for its time, indicating technological exchange.
Fortress Walls Built With Advanced Technology
One of the ancient mountain fortresses built throughout western Japan. Midway up the north side of Mount Miyaji, located in the Mikasa Plain, are earthworks running a total of 1.4 km in length. The earthworks were built by tamping layers of stone and soil atop stone rows made from large hewn stones about 0.5 meters wide. This civil engineering technique involving piling layers of soil is called rammed earth, and can also be seen at the ruins of Ono-jo Fortress and Mizuki Fortress. The area where the earthworks cross the valley is built with stone forts, and currently three water gates made from stacks of hewn stone have been found. Water Gate No. 3 looks like an enormous stone wall at first glance, boasting a current width of 23 meters and height of 3.8 meters. While the history behind the construction of this mountain fortress is unclear, it is presumed to be related to ancient Dazaifu based on the construction techniques used.
Chikushino City Characters/Tsukushi-chan
This mountain fortress was discovered in 1999 and is not mentioned in ancient historical documents. This site cannot be visited currently for safety reasons, but a pamphlet (“Stroll Chikushi”) provides an overview of this fortress. Try considering why this mountain fortress was built!
Access Information
Address
818-0011 Ashiki, Chikushino, Fukuoka
By Train
About 45 min on foot from Nishitetsu Asakuragaido Station
By Car
About 15 min from the Chikushino IC on the Kyushu Expressway
About the Western Capital
The “Western Capital”, created in Tsukushi 1300 years ago. Cultural assets speaking to the magnificence of this city of international exchange that flourished in East Asia are scattered across the cities of Chikushino, Kasuga, Onojo, Dazaifu, Nakagawa, and Umi in Fukuoka Prefecture as well as the town of Kiyama in Saga Prefecture.