Keywords
Architecture
Castles
Short for zaiban shijō 在番支城. A branch castle *shijō 支城, with attendant guards. One of several branch castles belonging to a feudal lord with a large fief: rather than handing the banjiro over to one of his retainers, but maintained control by employing several different defensive garrisons to guard it according to a rotation system. Banjiro were located on the borders of a domain or in enemy territory.