was a castle built in

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 ...

, Japan, by Tosanobō Shōshun (土佐坊昌俊), in 1185, and lasted from the

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese ...

to the early

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 ...

. It is located in the Kiridōshi area of the city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. After the castle was dismantled in the beginning of the Sengoku period, the Kiridōshi

Jin'ya A was a type of administrative headquarters in the Tokugawa Shogunate during the Edo period of Japanese history. ''Jin'ya'' served as the seat of the administration for a small domain, a province, or additional parcels of land. ''Jin'ya'' hou ...

was built on the same spot. It served as the base for the area ''

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 ...

'' until the construction of

Kawate Castle was a castle that existed between the Nanboku-chō period and the Sengoku period. Its ruins are located in the present-day city of Gifu, Gifu, Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. An alternative way to write its name in Japanese is 革手城, which has ...

nearby.

History

Tosanobō Shōshun served as the '' jito'' of the area during the late 12th century. During the

Nanboku-chō period The Nanboku-chō period (南北朝時代, ''Nanboku-chō jidai'', "North and South court period", also known as the Northern and Southern Courts period), spanning from 1336 to 1392, was a period that occurred during the formative years of the Mur ...

, Toki Yoritō served as the ''

'' of Mino Province. In 1339, he moved his base from the present-day city of Toki to Nagamori Castle. The castle only remained in the hands of the

Toki clan The is a Japanese kin group. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Toki," ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 61 retrieved 2013-5-9. History The Toki claim descent from Minamot ...

for a short time, however, as Toki Yoriyasu built the more spacious Kawate Castle nearby to serve as the new base of operations. It is unclear when the castle was demolished, but it is known that

Saitō Dōsan , also known as Saitō Toshimasa (斎藤利政), was a Japanese samurai during the Sengoku period. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"Saitō Dōsan"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 809. He was also known as the for his ruthless tactics. His hono ...

chose to use

Inabayama Castle is a Japanese castle located in the city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. 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 20 ...

as his base when he gained control of the area.

References

{{coord, 35.397837, 136.799167, format=dms, display=title, type:landmark_region:JP_scale:10000 Buildings and structures in Gifu Castles in Gifu Prefecture