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 ...

in Japan during the late-

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 ...

(late 12th century); it was destroyed 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 ...

in the mid-16th century. The castle's ruins are located in the present-day city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture. It stood at the peak of Mount Sagi, which was only . Because the castle was built as a residence and not a defensive fortress, its location on a small mountain was of little consequence.

History

Sagiyama Castle was built by Satake Hideyoshi between 1185 and 1190. It served as a main castle for 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 ...

, who were the ''

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 at the time, at first. However, after the construction of Kawate Castle to the south in 1353, Sagiyama Castle no longer played an important role in the area.

Toki Yorinari , also known as Toki Yoriaki,
retrieved 2013-5-10. was a Japanese

moved into the castle in the early 16th century, but chose to live in Kawate Castle after becoming the ''shugo''. After

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 ...

usurped power from the Toki clan in 1530, he moved the area's power into Inabayama Castle atop Mount Kinka. However, he occasionally took refuge in Sagiyama Castle because of its ease of access. Dōsan gave possession of Sagiyama Castle to his son,

Saitō Yoshitatsu or Toki Yoshitatsu was a Japanese samurai during the Sengoku period. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003).html" ;"title="DF 54 of 80">"Saitō," ''Nobiliare du Japon'', ...

, in 1548 after some repairs. Originally, Dōsan was planning on naming Yoshitatsu as his successor, but when Yoshitatsu heard that Dōsan might choose another son, Yoshitatsu killed his two brothers. The murders led to the

Battle of Nagaragawa The was a battle that took place along the banks of the Nagara River in Mino Province in April 1556. The site of the battle is in present-day Gifu, Gifu, Gifu city, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It was a battle between Saitō Dōsan and his son, Saitō ...

between Dōsan and Yoshitatsu in 1556, which resulted in Dōsan's death and the destruction of the castle.

Present

In 1964, during the construction of the

Tōkaidō Shinkansen The is a Japanese high-speed rail line that is part of the nationwide Shinkansen network. Along with the Sanyo Shinkansen, it forms a continuous high-speed railway through the Taiheiyō Belt, also known as the Tokaido corridor. Opened in 1964, ...

and the Meishin Expressway, dirt and stones from Mount Sagi were used, reducing the size of the mountain. During the excavation, however, stones thought to have formed the base of the castle were discovered. Though much of the castle is gone, what remains, including earthen walls and a moat, are protected.

References

{{coord, 35, 26, 58.79, N, 136, 45, 3.22, E, source:jawiki, display=title Buildings and structures completed in 1190 Buildings and structures in Gifu Castles in Gifu Prefecture Historic Sites of Japan Former castles in Japan Ruined castles in Japan