Hamamatsu Castle, situated in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, originally bore the name Hikuma Castle or Shusse-jo ("Castle of Success"). Constructed around 1532 by Imagawa Sadatsuke on a modest hill, its fate changed with the fall of the Imagawa clan following their defeat by Oda Nobunaga at Okehazama in 1560. In the aftermath, Tokugawa Ieyasu, then 29 years old, claimed control of the stronghold, shifting his base from Okazaki to Hamamatsu in 1570. Over the next 17 years, Ieyasu fortified and expanded the castle, shaping it into a Teikakushi-styled layout spanning 600 meters east to west and 650 meters north to south. The south-facing main gate stood sentinel over the vital Tokaido Route.
One legendary incident highlights the strategic cunning of Ieyasu. After narrowly escaping defeat at the Battle of Mikatagahara in 1572, Ieyasu returned to Hamamatsu Castle. He left the main gates open and ignited all the brazier fires, illuminating the fortress to guide his retreating samurai. The resounding beat of a war drum echoed through the January night. When Takeda Shingen's army approached and witnessed the scene, they suspected a trap and refrained from entering, inadvertently sparing Ieyasu and his forces.
In 1577, Ieyasu renamed the castle Hamamatsu. It became known as the "Castle of Success" as many of its lords achieved greater prominence, including Ieyasu's ascent to Shogun. The castle saw a succession of rulers during the Edo period, undergoing 12 changes of lordship.
In modern times, Hamamatsu Castle underwent dismantlement, with its moats filled in, and the inner Honmaru areas transformed into a city park. However, in 1958, a three-story Tenshu was reconstructed in concrete atop the original Nozura-zumi-made Tenshu-dai. The castle's remaining 10.28-hectare grounds, along with its ishigaki stone walls and layout, serve as exceptional examples of a large Sengoku-period castle. Visitors can explore the reconstructed Tenshu, which features a georama of the former castle's layout, a museum housing armor and weapons, and Tokugawa-related artifacts. Recent research suggests that the castle's original keep was not a Tenshu but a large two-story Yagura in the Ni-no-Maru. The reconstruction of the castle's Tenshu-mon in the traditional manner enhances the historical ambiance of Hamamatsu Castle.
Siehe auch
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Sawayama Castle
During the Kamakura period, Sabo Tokitsuna, the sixth son of Sasaki Sadatsuna, built a fort on Mount Sawayama. This fort occupied a strategically important position because it allowed control over traffic along the important Tōsandō route, which was later known as Nakasendō. This road connected the capital, Kyoto, with the eastern regions of the country. Due to its location, the fortification held great military importance, and during periods of civil war it repeatedly became the site of fierce battles.
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Nadzima Castle
It is believed that the first structures on this site were built by Tachibana Akitoshi (?-1568), head of the Tachibana clan, a branch family of the Ōtomo clan, as auxiliary fortifications for Tachibanayama Castle. In 1587, Toyotomi Hideyoshi established control over the island of Kyushu and granted Chikuzen Province to Kobayakawa Takakage, one of the leading vassals of the Mori clan. Takakage began construction of a new castle on the site of the existing fortifications in 1588. The exact date of completion is unknown, but by the time the invasion of Korea began in 1592, the castle had already been finished, as records note that Toyotomi Hideyoshi stayed there overnight on his way to Hizen Nagoya Castle, which served as the headquarters of the invasion forces.
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Kubota Castle
The founder of the castle is considered to be Satake Yoshinobu (1570–1633). Yoshinobu was one of the six great generals of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. During the Odawara Campaign of 1590, he took part in the siege of Oshi Castle under the command of Ishida Mitsunari, with whom Yoshinobu developed a good relationship.
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Kavanhoe Castle
Kawanoe Castle is located on the small Wasi-yama hill near the port area of the Kawanoe district in the city of Shikokuchuo, occupying a central position along the northern coast of Shikoku Island. Kawanoe was also known as Butsuden Castle. The term “butsuden” in Japan refers to temple halls, and for this reason it is believed that a Buddhist temple once stood on the site before the castle was built. Due to its location at the junction of four provinces on Shikoku Island, Kawanoe held significant strategic importance and was repeatedly targeted by rival forces seeking military control over the region.
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Yokote Castle
The founder of the castle is considered to be the Onodera clan. The Onodera were originally a minor clan from Shimotsuke Province and served Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147–1199), the founder of the first shogunate. The Onodera distinguished themselves in battle against the Fujiwara clan of the Ōshū branch and were rewarded with lands around Yokote. Around the 14th century, the Onodera moved to Yokote as their permanent residence. Their original stronghold was Numadate Castle, but after a series of clashes with the powerful Nambu clan, they relocated their base to the site of present-day Yokote Castle. It was likely during this time that the first fortifications appeared at the castle.
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Wakayama Castle
Wakayama Castle was built in 1585, when Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered his uterine brother, Hashiba (Toyotomi) Hidenaga, to construct a castle on the site of the recently captured Ota Castle. The purpose of this construction was to secure control over the likewise newly conquered Province of Kii. Following an already established tradition, Hidenaga entrusted the project to his castle-building expert, Todo Takatora. Takatora carefully inspected the future castle site, personally drew up several designs, created a model of the planned castle, and took part in the work of laying out the grounds (nawabari). For the construction he brought in more than 10,000 workers and completed the large-scale project within a single year, which was considered extremely fast by the standards of the time.
Toyama Castle
Toyama Castle is located almost in the very center of the former province of Etchū and is surrounded by a wide plain with a large number of rivers. The very first castle on the banks of the Jinzu River was built in 1543 by Jimbo Nagamoto. The Jimbo clan were vassals of the Hatakeyama clan and governed the western part of Etchū Province. The eastern part of the province belonged to their rivals, the Shiina clan, who were also Hatakeyama vassals. Beginning in the 15th century, the influence of the ancient Hatakeyama clan gradually weakened, and as a result, the Jimbo and the Shiina fought constant wars for control of the province. Meanwhile, the forces of the Ikkō-ikki movement periodically intervened, helping first one side and then the other.
Takada Castle
During the Sengoku period, the lands where Takada Castle would later be built were part of Echigo Province and were controlled by the Uesugi clan.
