Historically, the center of Iyo Province—corresponding to today’s Ehime Prefecture on the island of Shikoku—was the city of Imabari, while the Matsuyama area was regarded as an agricultural hinterland with broad plains and low hills. During the Muromachi period, the central part of the province was governed by the Kano clan from Yuzuki Castle. With the onset of the Sengoku period, however, this clan lost its former influence and was forced to survive in the shadow of the more powerful Mori and Chōsokabe clans. After Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s forces conquered Shikoku in 1587, the northern part of Iyo Province was granted to Fukushima Masanori, one of the so-called “Seven Spears of Shizugatake.” In 1595, Masanori was transferred to Kiyosu Castle, and the lands around Matsuyama were given to another of the Seven Spears, Katō Yoshiaki, who received Masaki Castle and an income of 60,000 koku of rice.
The Period of Katō Yoshiaki and the Events of Sekigahara
After Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s death in 1598, Katō Yoshiaki pledged loyalty to Tokugawa Ieyasu and supported the Eastern Coalition at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. At the same time, the Mori clan—an important ally of the Western Coalition—launched an attack on the Katō clan’s base at Masaki Castle. Despite the small size of the garrison, the defenders managed to hold the castle.
The Founding of Matsuyama Castle
Following Tokugawa Ieyasu’s victory in the Sekigahara campaign, Katō Yoshiaki’s rights to his lands in Iyo were confirmed, and his income was increased to 200,000 koku of rice. In 1602, Yoshiaki received permission from the shogunate to build a new castle, Matsuyama Castle, slightly north of Masaki Castle. It is believed that some parts of Masaki Castle were reused in the construction of the new stronghold. Overall, construction continued for more than twenty-five years.
Layout and Structure of the Castle
The castle was built on Mount Shiroyama, a hill about 100 meters high. Like many hirayamajiro (hilltop–plains castles), Matsuyama consisted of a mountainous section and developed areas at the foot of the hill. At the flat summit was the main enclosure, the honmaru, shaped like a hammer with a handle and measuring roughly 400 meters in length and 100 meters in width. The honmaru was surrounded by high stone walls (ishigaki), and its three entrances were controlled by masugata barbican complexes.
The Tenshuguruwa and the Main Keep
In the northern part of the honmaru stood a separate enclosure known as the tenshuguruwa, designed to protect the main keep, or tenshu. Nearly the entire perimeter of this enclosure was lined with long tamon-yagura turrets or earthen walls (dobei), with yagura towers placed at the corners. This design is characteristic of late castles from the early Edo period and is similar, for example, to the corresponding enclosure at Himeji Castle.
The Second Bailey: Ninomaru
At the foot of the hill lay the relatively small second bailey, the ninomaru. A residence for the castle lord was built here, along with a traditional garden. This area was also well fortified, with defenses that included stone walls about 10 meters high, a water-filled moat, towers, and gates.
Unique Features of the Layout
A distinctive feature of Matsuyama Castle was the presence of vertical stone and earthen walls descending from the mountain section of the castle down to the ninomaru. As a result, the entire slope between the first and second enclosures was incorporated into the castle grounds. Such a layout was extremely rare among other hilltop–plains castles.
The Third Bailey: Sannomaru
Adjoining the second bailey was the third bailey, the sannomaru, which was nearly square in shape and significantly larger, measuring approximately 500 by 500 meters. It was protected by an earthen embankment (dorui) topped with earthen walls (dobei) and a wide water-filled moat (mizubori). Within this enclosure stood the administrative buildings of the Iyo Matsuyama domain, as well as the residences of some samurai.
Change of Lords and Completion of Construction
Katō Yoshiaki did not live to see the completion of the castle; in 1627, he was transferred to the Aizu domain. His successor was Gamo Tadamoto, appointed by the shogunate. Under Tadamoto, the five-story main keep was completed and the ninomaru was fully finished. In 1634, Tadamoto died without an heir, and the castle and domain were transferred to Matsudaira Sadayuki, a member of the Hisamatsu branch of the Matsudaira clan. The Hisamatsu-Matsudaira were classified as shimpan daimyō, close relatives of the shoguns. Under Sadayuki, a new main keep was built in 1642, this time with three stories.
Fire and Reconstruction of the Main Keep
During New Year celebrations in 1784, lightning struck the main keep, completely destroying it by fire. Reconstruction work began in 1820 and was completed in 1854. From that time, the tenshu has survived unchanged to the present day.
The Boshin War and the Preservation of the Castle
The Matsudaira clan held the castle until the beginning of the Meiji period. During the Boshin War in 1868, the daimyō of the Matsuyama domain at the time, Matsudaira Sadaaki (1845–1872), fought on the Tokugawa side. After the imperial forces’ victory, Sadaaki was declared an outlaw. To prevent the destruction of the castle, he chose to submit to the new government, allowed troops from Tosa Province to enter the castle, and withdrew to Jōshinji Temple to repent. His sincerity convinced the emperor; Sadaaki was pardoned, and the castle was spared from confiscation.
Transfer to the City and Restoration Efforts
In 1923, the Matsudaira clan transferred ownership of the castle to the city of Matsuyama. The surviving structures, including the main keep, were designated “National Treasures” in 1935, but lost this status after the enactment of the 1950 law. Restoration of surviving buildings and reconstruction of lost ones began in 1958. By 1986, twenty-nine structures in the main honmaru enclosure had been reconstructed, and in 1992 the gates and a tamon-yagura turret of the second bailey, the ninomaru, were also rebuilt.
The Main Keep and the Museum
The tenshu has survived to the present day in the form of its 1854 reconstruction and is considered the “youngest” main keep among the so-called Authentic Dozen. It is generally believed to be an exact reproduction of the tenshukaku built under Matsudaira Sadayuki and destroyed in 1784. The main keep is designated an Important Cultural Property. Inside, there is a small historical museum displaying armor from the Sengoku period and the Edo period, including sets once belonging to the castle’s commandants.
Other Important Structures of the Castle
In addition to the main keep, twenty other surviving structures within the castle complex are designated Important Cultural Properties. These include the Shichikumon Gate with adjacent sections of walls preserved since the 1854 reconstruction; the Uchibei earthen wall from 1854, notable for featuring all types of loopholes, including mashikuli and ishiotoshimado; the Noharayagura Tower from 1660, one of the few surviving two-story towers in Japan; the Tonashimon Gate from 1635, a rare type of gate without doors; the Ninomonyagura Tower, reconstructed in 1854; the connecting tower of the Kakuremon Gate, preserved since its construction in 1615; and the Ichinomon Gate, reconstructed in 1854.
Current Status
In 2006, Matsuyama Castle was included by the Japan Castle Foundation (Nihon Jōkaku Kyōkai) in the list of the “100 Remarkable Castles of Japan.” The entire castle complex is also designated a National Historic Site.
See also
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Arato Castle
Arato Castle was built in 1524 by the Yamada clan under the orders of their overlord, Murakami, as a small mountain fort. Over time, it gained strategic importance and became a focal point in the conflict between two famous daimyō of the Sengoku period — Takeda Shingen and Murakami Yoshikiyo. This conflict turned the castle into one of the key fortifications in the struggle for control over Shinano Province.
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Tatsuno Castle
Tatsuno Castle is not a single fortification but rather a complex consisting of two parts: a mountain fortress located at the summit of Mount Keirozan and a flatland-mountain castle situated at its base. The mountain stronghold was built around 1499 by Akamatsu Murahide. During the Muromachi period, the Akamatsu clan was an influential family that, at the height of its power, controlled the provinces of Settsu, Harima, Bizen, and Mimasaka. Murahide’s ancestors were directly involved in the events of the Genkō War in the 14th century and in the subsequent establishment of the Ashikaga shogunate. However, by the 15th century, due to the process of gekokujō, the clan began to lose its position under pressure from rising families, including their former vassals—the Urakami and Bessho clans. In addition, the Akamatsu faced constant pressure from the Amago clan of Izumo Province.
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Takamatsu Castle
Takamatsu Castle was founded by Ikoma Chikamasa (1526–1603), who was appointed ruler of Takamatsu by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1587. The following year, Chikamasa began construction of the castle on the coast of the Inland Sea (Setonaikai), completing it by 1590.
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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.
