Asuke Castle, situated in Aichi Prefecture, may have been modest in size, but it played a pivotal role in numerous battles. It stands as one of Japan’s earliest and finest examples of a meticulously reconstructed Yamashiro-type castle from the Sengoku period.
Perched atop a 301-meter high hill named Mt. Mayumi in western Mikawa (now eastern Aichi Prefecture), Asuke Castle was originally founded in the 15th century by the Suzuki Clan. In 1525, Matsudaira Kiyoyasu, the grandfather of Tokugawa Ieyasu, launched an assault on Asuke. He not only captured the castle but also assimilated the Suzuki samurai into the Matsudaira clan.
However, in 1554, the Suzuki clan severed ties with the Matsudaira when the formidable Imagawa clan attacked. Overwhelmed, the Suzuki surrendered to the invaders. Two decades later, in 1564, Tokugawa Ieyasu, leading a 3,000-strong army, reclaimed Asuke, reinstating the Suzuki clan as vassals.
The castle saw further turmoil when Takeda Shingen seized it with 25,000 samurai in 1571. Nonetheless, in 1575, Matsudaira Nobuyasu, Ieyasu’s eldest son, besieged and defeated the Takeda forces, restoring Asuke to Tokugawa control. Eventually, Asuke was deserted in 1590 when Ieyasu accepted Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s offer to govern the Kanto districts, prompting him to relocate his headquarters to Edo (present-day Tokyo).
Given its repeated sieges, Asuke Castle held strategic significance, guarding the vital Ina Highway, also known as the “Salt Route,” which connected Owari Mikawa (eastern Aichi) with Shinano (Nagano Prefecture).
Asuke Castle, perched on a steep, cliff-like hill, was encircled by rudimentary log fences instead of stone walls. Although its unique defensive features like the Sakamogi trees are no longer present, nearly all aspects of Asuke Castle have been faithfully reconstructed. From its simple watchtowers and basic living quarters to its stables and defenses, every detail reflects the authenticity of the original structure.
The Minami-no-Maru, the main southern bailey, resembles an open fan and was originally occupied by kitchens and living quarters, as evidenced by unearthed artifacts. It features a nagaya-type dwelling with an irori fireplace inside and a simple kitchen outside. A wooden bridge leads to a lookout tower, offering views of Kessoku Castle’s ruins, a satellite fortress within the regional communication network.
Atop the central Honmaru stands the Taka-Yagura, a two-story tower with wooden shingles for roofing and black protective boarding on the lower two-thirds of both floors. Adjacent to it is a narrow nagaya housing, built using mud-faced walls and wood panels, serving as a defensive structure.
The samurai maintained provisions of weapons, food, and water within the castle, with the Nagaya featuring a dirt floor containing salt, a vital resource during sieges. The castle walls, constructed using the wattle and daub technique, could be chipped open during sieges to access dried taro potato stalks for emergency use.
Below the castle lies the town of Asuke, which thrived as a post station along the Chumakaido route for transporting salt and other goods. Today, remnants of its past, including houses with blackboarded walls and warehouses with white earthen walls, adorn the townscape, evoking its defensive heritage.
See also
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Yoshida Castle
Yoshida Castle is renowned worldwide, particularly through the intricate woodblock prints by Edo Period artist Hiroshige. His famous series, depicting the 53 stages of the Tokaido—the historic route between Kyoto and Edo (modern-day Tokyo)—includes the 34th print, which shows workmen repairing a castle overlooking a wooden bridge crossing a wide river. This scene captures the Toyokawa River at Toyohashi in southeast Aichi Prefecture, and the castle is Yoshida Castle.
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Yamato Koriyama Castle
The impressive ruins of Koriyama Castle sit atop a small hill, surrounded by two rivers. The strategic positioning and strong layout of the castle served it well through the final years of the Sengoku period and the peaceful days of the Edo period.
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Yamanaka Castle
Yamanaka Castle, established by Hojo Ujiyasu in the 1560s, is located in what is now eastern Mishima, Shizuoka Prefecture. This castle served as the first line of western defense for the main Hojo Castle at Odawara. Carved into the side of a 586-meter-high mountain, Yamanaka Castle was strategically positioned along the Tokaido Highway, offering superb views of nearby Mt. Fuji, the ocean, and the road leading to Odawara.
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Uwajima Castle
Uwajima Castle, located in Uwajima City, Ehime Prefecture, Shikoku, is one of the 12 remaining Japanese castles with an original keep. Known for its small size, Uwajima Castle is relatively difficult to access, which means it is less frequented by tourists.
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Ueda Castle
Ueda Castle in Nagano Prefecture once stood prominently on a cliff overlooking the Saigawa River. Also known as Amagafuchi-Jo, Isesaki-Jo, Matsuo-Jo, and Sanada-Jo, it was built around 1583 by its first master, Sanada Masayuki. This sturdy yet small fortress cleverly utilized the surrounding natural defenses, including the river, steep rocky cliffs, the layout of the town below, and the strategically designed waterways to hinder attackers. Ueda Castle was fortified with seven defensive yagura (watchtowers) atop robust stone walls and had two large gates with watchtowers above them.
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Tsuyama Castle
Tsuyama Castle, located in Tsuyama City, Okayama Prefecture, is celebrated as one of Japan's top three major hilltop (Hirayama) castles, alongside Himeji and Matsuyama Castles. Originally, Tsuyama Castle comprised 77 structures, including the main keep, various yagura (watchtowers), gates, palaces, and living quarters. For comparison, Hiroshima Castle had 76 structures, and Himeji had 61. The first castle on this site was built in 1441 but was soon abandoned. The large-scale construction that we recognize today began in 1603 under the orders of Mori Tadamasa. The castle served as the administrative base for the Tsuyama Han daimyo, the Mori clan from 1603 to 1697, and the Matsudaira clan from 1698 to 1871.
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Tsu Castle
Tsu Castle, located in Tsu City, Mie Prefecture, was originally built by Hosono Fujiatsu in 1558 and was known as Anotsu Castle, named after the old region. The site was strategically chosen at the confluence of the Ano and Iwata Rivers, which naturally formed a moat around the castle, while the nearby port served as a vital trade route.
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Sasayama Castle
Tamba Sasayama Castle, also known as Sasayama or Kirigajo (Mist Castle), is a flatland castle (hira-jiro) situated on a gentle rise in the Tamba region of Hyogo Prefecture. It was constructed in 1608 as part of Tokugawa Ieyasu's strategy to prepare for an attack on Osaka, aiming to bring an end to the Toyotomi clan. Ieyasu ordered the castle's construction using the Tenka Bushin system, engaging 20 former enemy daimyo and their forces to complete the complex within six months. This system kept the former enemies close and preoccupied, financially straining them and limiting their capacity for further conflict. The stones used in Sasayama Castle feature engravings called kokumon, indicating who made each part of the walls and preventing theft by other lords' men.
