Azuchi Castle, inspired by the design of Komakiyama Oda Nobunaga’s initial fortress, boasted a distinctive feature that defied conventional defensive tactics: a grand, wide stone-lined Otemichi stairway leading directly to the base of the central Honmaru enclosure. This seemingly inviting approach, devoid of the usual winding paths meant to impede attackers, hinted at Nobunaga’s confidence, almost daring any potential adversary to challenge him.
Despite its appearance, the main stairway posed significant challenges for assailants. Its steep incline and unusually high steps made ascent arduous, especially for individuals of the Sengoku period’s average height, laden with heavy armor and weaponry, amidst defending forces raining fire from walls and yagura positioned along the steps. Flanking this ascent were the residences of Nobunaga’s most trusted retainers, each accompanied by elite samurai guards, further bolstering Azuchi’s defenses.
Atop the castle stood a magnificent tower keep, soaring seven stories high and reputedly the world’s largest wooden structure at the time. Its imposing exterior, adorned with white plaster and black lacquered panels, culminated in a roof tiled with gold-plated kawara tiles. Symbolically, the tower’s design blended elements of heaven, Taoism, and Confucianism, embodying Nobunaga’s grandeur and philosophical influences.
Internally, Azuchi Castle resembled European churches, with vaulted ceilings soaring up to 20 meters through the central structure. Nobunaga’s architectural vision, possibly influenced by visiting missionaries or colossal Buddhist temples, resulted in a unique, opulent edifice supported by formidable stone walls. Within its confines, Nobunaga resided in lavish quarters, including a Noh stage and a tea room adorned entirely in gold leaf.
Legend has it that during the castle’s construction, Nobunaga ingeniously overcame stone supply shortages by compelling samurai to contribute stones, including his father’s gravestone, integrated into the fortress walls. Okabe Matazaemon and his team of carpenters then erected the towering structure, completing the project in under three and a half years.
Azuchi Castle quickly became a national spectacle, particularly during summer evenings when lanterns illuminated its towering presence, captivating the populace. Nobunaga’s ambition to unify Japan under his rule seemed within reach until tragedy struck in June 1582. A treacherous betrayal by General Akechi Mitsuhide led to Nobunaga’s demise at Honno-ji Temple in Kyoto, followed by Azuchi’s destruction at the hands of Akechi’s forces.
Though rumors abound regarding the castle’s fiery end, Azuchi’s legacy lives on through its extensive stone walls, a testament to Nobunaga’s towering ambitions. Models of the castle can be viewed at the Nobunaga no Yakata Museum in Azuchi or experienced firsthand at the life-sized replica in Mie Prefecture’s Ise Sengoku Mura theme park.
See also
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Kaminoyama Castle
Kamino-yama Castle stood at the center of an important logistics hub, in the middle of the Yonezawa Plain, which served as the gateway to the western part of the Tohoku region. Roads connecting the Aizu, Fukushima, and Yamagata areas intersected here.
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Imabari Castle
Tōdō Takatora (1556–1630) served at different times as a vassal of several famous clans—Azai, Oda, Toyotomi, and Tokugawa. He took part in the Battle of Anegawa (1570), the Battle of Shizugatake (1583), the invasions of Kyushu and Korea, the Sekigahara campaign (1600), and the Siege of Osaka (1614–1615).
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Iwakuni Castle
Kikkawa Hiroie (1561–1625) was the grandson of the famous daimyo Mori Motonari and a vassal of the Mori clan. Under Mori Terumoto, he fought in both Korean campaigns and took part in the defense of Ulsan Castle. During the Battle of Sekigahara, Hiroie stood with his 3,000-man force on the side of the Western Coalition; however, even before the battle began, he sent Tokugawa Ieyasu a secret message stating that he did not intend to fight Tokugawa’s troops. As a result of his inaction, 15,000 soldiers under Mori Hidemoto were also unable to enter the battle, since Hiroie blocked their path.
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Gujo Hachiman Castle
Gujo Hachiman Castle is located on 350-meter Mount Hachiman, near the confluence of the Yoshidagawa and Kodaragava rivers, and not far from the Nagaragawa River. During the Sengoku period, this area was of great strategic importance: it stood at a key crossroads of routes connecting Mino Province in the south with the Sea of Japan in the north, and Hida Province in the east with Echizen Province in the west.
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Amagasaki Castle
The founding year of Amagasaki Castle is traditionally considered to be 1617, when Toda Ujikané built his castle here, making it the administrative center of the Amagasaki Domain. However, as early as the Sengoku period, a fortress built by the Hosokawa clan already stood on this site. After the fall of Itami Castle in 1579, Araki Murashige—formerly a vassal of Oda Nobunaga who had rebelled against him—fled to this earlier castle.
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Hiroshima Castle
Mōri Terumoto (1553–1625) was the grandson and rightful heir of the renowned Mōri Motonari. When Terumoto became the head of the Mōri clan in 1571, he inherited vast territories covering a large part of the San’in and San’yō regions in western Honshū. In addition, the Mōri clan possessed the largest and most technologically advanced naval fleet of its time.
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Fukuyama Castle
After the defeat of Toyotomi Hideyori’s supporters in the Osaka Campaigns of 1614–1615, many clans in Japan still remained not fully loyal to the Tokugawa shogunate, especially in the western Chūgoku region. Mizuno Katsunari (1564–1651), a cousin of Tokugawa Ieyasu, became the first of the Tokugawa house’s close retainers, the so-called fudai daimyō, to be relocated to this strategically important area.
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Tiba Castle
The founder of the Chiba clan is considered to be Chiba Tsunesige (1083–1180), who in 1126 moved his residence to the Inohana area and built a strongly fortified stronghold there. Although Tsunesige himself came from the Taira clan, the Chiba clan later supported Minamoto no Yoritomo, the future founder of the first shogunate.
