is a
Japanese castle located in the city of
Gifu
is a city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. During the Sengoku p ...
,
Gifu Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Gifu Prefecture has a population of 1,991,390 () and has a geographic area of . Gifu Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture to the northwest, ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
. Along with
Mount Kinka and the
Nagara River, it is one of the main symbols of the city. The castle is also known as . It was designated a
National Historic Site in 2011.
Overview
Gifu Castle is located on
Mount Kinkazan to the northeast of central Gifu, facing the
Nagara River. Prior to a severe flood in 1586, the
Kiso River
The is a river in the Chubu region of Japan roughly long, flowing through the prefectures of Nagano, Gifu, Aichi, and Mie before emptying into Ise Bay a short distance away from the city of Nagoya.Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric ''et al.'' (200 ...
ran through north of its current riverbed and was much closer to the castle, so Gifu Castle was protected by two large rivers. It also commanded the main route into
Mino Province
was a province of Japan in the area of Japan that is today southern Gifu Prefecture. Mino was bordered by Ōmi to the west, Echizen and Hida to the north, and Shinano to the east, and Ise, Mikawa, and Owari to the south. Its abbreviat ...
from then
Tōkaidō highway which connected
Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the c ...
wth the eastern provinces of Japan.
History
The first Gifu Castle was first built by the
Nikaidō clan between 1201 and 1204 during the
Kamakura Period
The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle b ...
.
[Gifu Castle Official Page](_blank)
. Gifu City Hall. Accessed January 11, 2008.
Japan National Tourist Organization. Accessed May 7, 2008. Originally little more than a small fort, it was reconstructed on a much larger scale in the
Muromachi period
The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate (''Muromachi bakufu'' or ''Ashikaga bakufu''), which was officially established in 1338 by ...
by
Saitō Toshinaga (d.1460). Toshinaga had served the title of ''
shugo
, commonly translated as “(military) governor,” “protector,” or “constable,” was a title given to certain officials in feudal Japan. They were each appointed by the ''shōgun'' to oversee one or more of the provinces of Japan. The pos ...
'' of Mino Province, but due to internal conflicts, the Saitō clan had been supplanted in turn by the
Toki clan. The clan's fortunes were restored in the form of an adventurer from Kyoto who assumed the name of
Saitō Dōsan. Also known as the "Viper of Mino", Saitō Dōsan ruthlessly overcame his enemies, expelled the Toki clan, and defeated an invasion from neighboring
Owari Province
was a province of Japan in the area that today forms the western half of Aichi Prefecture, including the modern city of Nagoya. The province was created in 646. Owari bordered on Mikawa, Mino, and Ise Provinces. Owari and Mino provinces were ...
led by
Oda Nobuhide. Saitō Dōsan was killed in a revolt by his own son,
Saitō Yoshitatsu. Although Yoshiyasu showed promise as a ruler, he died at the age of 34, leaving Inabayama Castle to his son
Saitō Tatsuoki.
During the
Sengoku period
The was a period in History of Japan, Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615.
The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the Feudalism, feudal system of Japan under the ...
a samurai in the service of the Saitō clan by the name of
Takenaka Hanbei went to Inabayama Castle, ostensibly to visit his sick brother. This was a ruse, and in reality, he went to the castle intending to assassinate Saitō Tatsuoki. When Hanbei struck at him, Tatsuoki was very confused—believing an enemy army had come to attack him—and fled. Thus, Takenaka Hanbei obtained Inabayama Castle with relative ease and with only 13 retainers. Later, he returned the castle to his lord, but Tatsuoki had lost an immeasurable amount of reputation and honor due to his perceived cowardly flight from the castle and many of his retainers left his service.
In 1567,
Oda Nobunaga
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period. He is regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan.
Nobunaga was head of the very powerful Oda clan, and launched a war against other ''daimyō'' to unify ...
launched an attack on Mino Province from
Sunomata Castle, led his forces across the Kiso River, and marched straight to the castle town of Inoguchi (now Gifu city) attracting the support of many former Saitō retainers along the way. Nobunaga laid
siege to Inabayama Castle on 13 September. Even though the defenders were demoralized to see the banners of Saitō retainers among the attacking army, the mountaintop castle was still in a nearly impregnable position. The siege took about two weeks. Near the end of the siege, Nobunaga's retainer
Kinoshita Tōkichirō led a small party up the steep cliffs, entered the castle from the unguarded rear, and opened the front gates, allowing the attacking forces to enter. After Tatsuoki fled, Nobunaga made the castle his primary base-of-operations.
Nobunaga renamed the stronghold "Gifu Castle,"
following an example set by an ancient Chinese practice. Nobunaga then proceeded to renovate the castle into a far more impressive and grandiose structure than its previous incarnation. He constructed a ''
tenshu'' on the top of the mountain and brought in many huge stones to bolster its ramparts.
Luis Frois, a renowned
Jesuit
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, nickname = Jesuits
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, founders ...
Missionary from Portugal, was personally invited by Nobunaga to visit the castle. After a short stay in Gifu, Frois praised the castle's extraordinary beauty. Nobunaga used Gifu Castle as his primary residence for about ten years, until the completion of
Azuchi Castle in 1579. Gifu Castle was given to his son,
Oda Nobutada, who was also killed along with his father by the forces of
Akechi Mitsuhide at the
Honnō-ji Incident
The was an attempt to assassinate Japanese daimyo Oda Nobunaga at the Honnō-ji temple in Kyoto on 21 June 1582, resulting in the suicide by '' seppuku'' of both Nobunaga and his son Oda Nobutada. The unprotected Nobunaga was ambushed by ...
in 1582.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
, otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Cour ...
then awarded the castle to Nobunaga's third son,
Oda Nobutaka. However, Nobutaka later sided with
Shibata Katsuie against Hideyoshi and was forced to commit ''
seppuku
, sometimes referred to as hara-kiri (, , a native Japanese kun reading), is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. It was originally reserved for samurai in their code of honour but was also practised by other Japanese people ...
'' at Gifu Castle. Hideyoshi then placed
Oda Hidenobu, Nobutada's son, in charge of Gifu Castle. After Hideyoshi's death, Hidenobu overruled the objections of his retainers, and sided with
Ishida Mitsunari
Ishida Mitsunari (, 1559 – November 6, 1600) was a Japanese samurai and military commander of the late Sengoku period of Japan. He is probably best remembered as the commander of the Western army in the Battle of Sekigahara following the ...
against the forces of
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fello ...
.
The subsequent
Battle of Gifu Castle in 1600 served as a prelude to both the
Battle of Sekigahara
The Battle of Sekigahara (Shinjitai: ; Kyūjitai: , Hepburn romanization: ''Sekigahara no Tatakai'') was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 ( Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) in what is now Gifu prefecture, Japan, at the end of ...
and the fall of Gifu Castle after a siege of only one day. Hidenobu was expelled to live the rest of his days as a monk at
Mount Koya.
With the establishment of the
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...
, Gifu Castle was awarded to Ieyasu's son-in-law,
Okudaira Nobumasa. However, due to its poor state of repair, Nobumasa decided to abolish Gifu Castle and to relocate to at the base of the mountain, and built
Kanō Castle in 1603. Some of the structures of Gifu Castle, such as its largest three-story''yagura'' were dismantled and re-erected at the new location.
Present day
The current version of Gifu Castle is a cement structure that was built in the 1950s, as the previous castle had been destroyed in the
Bombing of Gifu in World War II.
Inside the castle, is a museum with three floors containing exhibits representing the castle's past.
With maps, weapons, pictures and other artifacts on display, visitors can recreate the story of Gifu Castle. On the top floor of the castle, an observation deck,
with a 360-degree panoramic view of the surrounding area, including the Nagara River and
Nagoya
is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most po ...
. At various points throughout the year, the castle is also open to night viewing, providing an awe-inspiring view of the city.
[''Gifu City Walking Map''. Gifu Lively City Public Corporation, 2007.] The newly opened
Gifu City Tower 43 also provides panoramic views of the city and is open late year-round; however, its views are limited to only a few compass directions. Lights, walkways and signs that were added during 2005's beautification campaign make visiting the castle even more convenient and informative.
[''Outline of Gifu City 2005''. Gifu City Hall, April 2005.]
Gifu Castle Archives Museum
When visitors pay the entrance fee to Gifu Castle, they also receive entrance to the Gifu Castle Archives Museum, located approximately from the entrance to Gifu Castle. Inside the museum, visitors will find more archives related to Gifu Castle and its past residents. The second floor focuses on musical instruments from Japan's past and present. Additionally, there are pictures of castles throughout Japan adorning the walls of the museum.
Castle operating hours
*Normal hours
:March 16–May 11: 9:30 to 17:30
:May 12–October 16: 8:30 to 17:30
:October 17–March 15: 9:30 to 16:30
*Night viewing
:April 28–May 6: until 21:30
:July 14–August 31: until 22:00
:September 1–October 14: until 21:30 (Saturday, Sunday, and holidays only)
:October 15–November 30: until 18:30
Access
Mount Kinkazan offers hiking trails of varying difficulty to Gifu Castle and take approximately one hour.
[Mt. Kinka Hiking Trails](_blank)
. Gifu City Hall. Accessed June 12, 2007. Visitors can also take the
Mt. Kinka Ropeway that originates in
Gifu Park
is a public park located at the base of Mount Kinka in the city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Inside the park, there are many attractions, including Gifu Castle, Mount Kinka, the Mt. Kinka Ropeway, the Gifu City Museum of History, the Eiz ...
to the mountain's summit, from which Gifu Castle is just a short walk away.
[Mt. Kinka Ropeway Homepage](_blank)
Kinkazan Co. Access June 12, 2007
To get to Gifu Park, you can board buses operated by
Gifu Bus
is a public transportation company based in Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It is a subsidiary of Nagoya Railroad and primarily operates within Gifu Prefecture. Some of its public transportation routes within the city of Gifu were handed over by ...
at either
JR Gifu Station
is a railway station in the heart of the city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan, operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central).
Lines
Gifu Station is served by the JR Central Tōkaidō Main Line, and is located 396.3 kilometers from th ...
(Bus Platform 11 or 12) or
Meitetsu Gifu Station
is a railway station in the heart of the city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan, operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central).
Lines
Gifu Station is served by the JR Central Tōkaidō Main Line, and is located 396.3 kilometers from th ...
(Bus Platform 4). The bus takes approximately 15 minutes to get to the bus stop for
Gifu Park
is a public park located at the base of Mount Kinka in the city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Inside the park, there are many attractions, including Gifu Castle, Mount Kinka, the Mt. Kinka Ropeway, the Gifu City Museum of History, the Eiz ...
and the
Museum of History (''Gifu Kōen, Rekishi Hakubutsukan-mae'').
[Gifu Bus (Noriai Jigyō-bu)](_blank)
. Gifu Bus Co., Ltd. Accessed May 7, 2008.
See also
*
List of Historic Sites of Japan (Gifu)
This list is of the Historic Sites of Japan located within the Prefecture of Gifu.
National Historic Sites
As of 17 June 2022, twenty-eight Sites have been designated as being of national significance; the Nakasendō spans the prefectural bo ...
References
Literature
*
*
*
External links
Gifu Castle Homepage{{Authority control
Buildings and structures in Gifu
Museums in Gifu Prefecture
Castles in Gifu Prefecture
History museums in Japan
Historic Sites of Japan
Mino Province