is a

Japanese castle are fortresses constructed primarily of wood and stone. They evolved from the wooden stockades of earlier centuries, and came into their best-known form in the 16th century. Castles in Japan were built to guard important or strategic sites, suc ...

located in the city of Ina, southern

Nagano Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,052,493 () and has a geographic area of . Nagano Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture to the north, Gunma Prefecture to the n ...

, Japan. At the end of the

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional ''daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was character ...

, Takatō Castle was home to a cadet branch of the

Naitō clan is a Japanese samurai kin group. The clan claims its descent from Fujiwara no Hidesato. The Naitō became ''daimyōs'' during the Edo period. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, ...

, ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and nominall ...

'' of

Takatō Domain was a domain of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan during the Edo period from 1600 to 1871. The Takatō Domain was based at Takatō Castle in Shinano Province, in the modern city of Ina, located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshu. The ...

. The castle was also known as . Built sometime in the 16th century, it is now largely ruins.

Situation

Takato Castle is located on a hill in former Takatō Town on the eastern edge of central Ina Valley in southern Nagano Prefecture. The location was a crossroads on the Akiba Kaidō, a highway connecting

Tōtōmi province was a province of Japan in the area of Japan that is today western Shizuoka Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Tōtōmi''" in . Tōtōmi bordered on Mikawa, Suruga and Shinano Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was . The or ...

with the Suwa region of Shinano and Kai Province and a road which led to the western portion of the Ina valley and

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 abbrevia ...

. When viewed from the standpoint of Kai Province, the area was a key point in the control of southern Shinano. The castle site overlooks the confluence of the Mibugawa River and the Fujisawa River, which forms part of its natural defenses. Deep trenches, earthen

rampart Rampart may refer to: * Rampart (fortification), a defensive wall or bank around a castle, fort or settlement Rampart may also refer to: * "O'er the Ramparts We Watched" is a key line from "The Star-Spangled Banner", the national anthem of the ...

s and stone walls in concentric rings form the defensive structures in a style typical of construction under

Takeda Shingen , of Kai Province, was a pre-eminent ''daimyō'' in feudal Japan. Known as the "Tiger of Kai", he was one of the most powerful Daimyo, daimyō with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period. Shingen was a warlord of ...

. The Central Bailey (''Hon-maru'') was protected to the northwest and northeast by the Second Bailey (''Ni-no-maru'') and Third Bailey (''San-no-maru'') along with four enclosures: the ''Suwa-kuruwa'' ( 諏訪曲輪 ) ''Sasa-kuruwa'' ( 笹曲輪 ) ''Minami-kuruwa'' ( 南曲輪 ) and ''Hōdōji-kuruwa'' ( 法幢寺曲輪 ) Most of the gates were box-shaped gates, which added to the defenses. In the

, front gate of the castle was changed from east side to west side, which directly faced the ''

jōkamachi The term refers to a type of urban structures in Japan in which the city surrounds a feudal lord's castle. These cities did not necessarily form around castles after the Edo period; some are known as Jin'yamachi, cities that have evolved around J ...

''. The

han school The was an educational institution in the Edo period of Japan, originally established to educate children of ''daimyō'' (feudal lords) and their retainers in the domains outside of the capital. These institutions were also known as ''hangaku ...

, built in 1860, was located in the Third Bailey. A few

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of History of Japan#Medieval Japan (1185–1573/1600), medieval and Edo period, early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retai ...

residences have survived in the town.

History

The original date of construction of Takatō Castle is unknown, however before its construction, there was originally another fortification on the same site, controlled by the Takatō clan, retainers of the

Suwa clan The , also known as the Jin or Miwa clan (神氏, ''Miwa uji / Miwa-shi'' or ''Jinshi'') was a Japanese '' shake'' and samurai family. Originating from the area encompassing Lake Suwa in Shinano Province (modern-day Nagano Prefecture), it was or ...

,J Castle - Guide to Japanese Castles "Takato Castle" http://www.jcastle.info/castle/profile/129-Takato-Castle who had dominated the area since 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 bet ...

Suwa Yorishige (1516–1544) was a Japanese samurai and head of the Suwa clan. He was defeated by Takeda Shingen, and his daughter Suwa Goryōnin (諏訪御料人, real name unknown) was taken as Shingen's concubine. She later gave birth to the Takeda clan heir T ...

had an alliance with the

Takeda clan The was a Japanese samurai clan active from the late Heian period until the late 16th century. The clan was historically based in Kai Province in present-day Yamanashi Prefecture. The clan reached its greatest influence under the rule of T ...

, but this was broken by

in 1545 during his campaign to conquer southern Shinano Province and the castle was seized by Takeda forces. Takatō Yoritsugu relied on support from his allies, Ogasawara Nagatoki and Tozawa Yorichika, however, they failed to come to his aid. Under the Takeda clan, the castle was completely rebuilt in accordance with contemporary military design practices, with a layout developed by his military strategist, Yamamoto Kansuke, and Shingen awarded the castle to his retainer,

Akiyama Nobutomo was a samurai during the Sengoku period in Japan. He is known as one of the "Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen". Nobutomo also served under Shingen's son, Takeda Katsuyori. Biography In 1531, Akiyama Nobutomo was born at in Kai provin ...

and later to his son,

Takeda Katsuyori was a Japanese '' daimyō'' of the Sengoku period, who was famed as the head of the Takeda clan and the successor to the legendary warlord Takeda Shingen. He was son in law of Hojo Ujiyasu. Early life He was the son of Shingen by the daugh ...

. Shingen used the castle to launch his invasion of

, which brought him into conflict with

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 unif ...

, and it was also from Takatō Castle that he started his final campaign in 1572 towards

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 ...

. After Shingen's death, the castle was entrusted to

Nishina Morinobu was a retainer of the Japanese samurai clan of Takeda during the closing years of the Sengoku period. Born the fifth son of the legendary Takeda Shingen (by Lady Yukawa), he was also known as Takeda Harukiyo (武田晴清). In 1561 Morinobu ...

, Takeda Katsuyori's younger brother. The castle fell to

Oda Nobutada was a samurai and the eldest son of Oda Nobunaga, who fought in many battles during the Sengoku period of Japan. He commanded armies under his father in battles against Matsunaga Hisahide and against the Takeda clan. Biography Oda Nobutada ...

, the son of

during the

Battle of Temmokuzan The 1582 in Japan, also known as the Battle of Toriibata, is regarded as the last stand of the Takeda clan. This was the final attempt by Takeda Katsuyori to resist the combined forces of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Oda Nobunaga, who had been campaig ...

in 1582, with 50,000 troops as opposed to 3000 defenders on the side of the Takeda clan, with Nishina Morinobu resisting to the end. After the Takeda clan was destroyed, the castle was awarded to Mori Hideyori, one of Nobunaga’s generals. However, after the assassination of Nobunaga in 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 his ...

, the area came under the control 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 fel ...

, who assigned it to

Hoshina Masanao (1542 – October 21, 1601) was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku period, who served the Takeda clan. He was the successor of his father Hoshina Masatoshi in the ranks of the senior Takeda retainers, and was given command of 250 cavalry.

. However, after the Tokugawa clan was reassigned to the Kantō region by

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 C ...

in 1590, Takatō was given to one of Hideyoshi’s generals, Ogasawara Sadayoshi. Tokugawa Ieyasu recovered the castle following 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 ...

in 1603, and 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 Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in ...

, Takatō become the center of

, a 30,000 '' koku'' holding under the Hoshina clan. The Hoshina were replaced by the

Torii clan was a Japanese daimyo family of the Sengoku and Edo periods. History Yukinori, the founder of the Watari clan and the Torii clan, was from a family of Kumano Gongen Shinto priests in Kii Province. He was given the family name of Taira from Ta ...

from 1636-1689, until the assignment of the domain to

Naitō Kiyokazu Naitō, Naito or Naitou (written: 内藤) is a Japanese name, also transliterated as Naitoh or Nightow. Notable people with the surname include: * , vice president of Lenovo's PC and Smart Devices business unit, known as the "Father of ThinkPad" * ...

, whose descendants continued to rule to the

Meiji restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were r ...

. Following the establishment of the

Meiji government The was the government that was formed by politicians of the Satsuma Domain and Chōshū Domain in the 1860s. The Meiji government was the early government of the Empire of Japan. Politicians of the Meiji government were known as the Meiji ...

and the

abolition of the han system The in the Empire of Japan and its replacement by a system of prefectures in 1871 was the culmination of the Meiji Restoration begun in 1868, the starting year of the Meiji period. Under the reform, all daimyos (, ''daimyō'', feudal lords) ...

, the remaining structures of the castle were dismantled, and its surviving gates donated to nearby temples or were sold off to private owners. The castle site became the , noted for its

sakura A cherry blossom, also known as Japanese cherry or sakura, is a flower of many trees of genus ''Prunus'' or ''Prunus'' subg. ''Cerasus''. They are common species in East Asia, including China, Korea and especially in Japan. They generally ...

blossoms in spring. The cherry blossoms were planted in the

Meiji Period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...

. Takatō Castle was listed as one of the

100 Fine Castles of Japan The castles in were chosen based on their significance in culture, history, and in their regions by the in 2006. In 2017, Japanese Castle Association created an additional finest 100 castles list as Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles. Hokkaidō ...

by the Japan Castle Foundation in 2006.

Current situation

Takatō Castle Ruins Park is regarded one of the three best locations to see

cherry blossoms A cherry blossom, also known as Japanese cherry or sakura, is a flower of many trees of genus ''Prunus'' or ''Prunus'' subg. ''Cerasus''. They are common species in East Asia, including China, Korea and especially in Japan. They generally ...

, together with

Hirosaki Castle is a city located in western Aomori Prefecture, Japan. On 1 April 2020, the city had an estimated population of 168,739 in 71,716 households, and a population density of . The total area of the city is . Hirosaki developed as a castle town fo ...

and

Mount Yoshino is a mountain located in the town of Yoshino in Yoshino District, Nara Prefecture, Japan that is a major religious and literary site. It is renowned for its cherry blossoms and attracts many visitors every spring, when the trees are in blossom ...

.Takato Castle - Japan Guide http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6065.html There is very little of the castle remaining in situ aside from part of the moats and stone ramparts. Several of the original castle gates have survived, but remain in private hands in other locations. One ''yagura'' has been reconstructed, and the Ōtemon (Main gate) of the castle, which had been moved to be used as the gate for a high school north of town, was relocated back to its original location in 1984. On the site of the castle, the oldest remaining building is the former

, the , built by the last ''daimyō'' of Takatō,

Naitō Yorinao was the 8th (and final) Naitō ''daimyō'' of Takatō Domain in Shinano Province, Honshū, Japan (modern-day Nagano Prefecture) and 13th hereditary chieftain of the Takatō-Naitō clan. His courtesy title before the Meiji restoration was ''Yamat ...

Literature

*Takada, Toru: Takato-jō in: Miura, Masayuki (eds): Shiro to Jinya. Tokoku-hen. Gakken, 2006. , S. 100th *Nishigaya, Yasuhiro (eds): Takato-jō. In: Nihon Meijo Zukan, Rikogaku-sha, 1993. . * * * *

References

External links