山城

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 山城 is a noun read やまじろ, meaning a mountain castle or fortress built to use elevated terrain.
• Basic usage: Use 山城の跡 for the remains of such a castle and 山城から見渡す for looking out from it.
  • 尾根の上に築かれた山城の跡を歩いた。 describes walking through the ruins of a mountain castle built on a ridge; 山城から谷を通る道がよく見渡せる。 says that the road through the valley is clearly visible from the mountain castle.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• 山城の跡
  • 跡 refers to the site or ruins rather than saying that the whole castle remains intact.
• 尾根の上に
  • に marks the ridge as the location where the castle was built.
• 山城から見渡す
  • から marks the mountain castle as the vantage point.