Kakegawa Castle was a familiar landmark for travelers on the old Tokaido, the major route connecting the samurai-era government center in Edo (Tokyo) with the capital, Kyoto. Along this highway, travelers would pass through 53 checkpoints and post towns, stopping only at government-approved inns.
Kakegawa served as the 26th stop from Edo's Nihonbashi, the renowned bridge used as the reference point for measuring national distances. Kakegawa also served as a stop on the salt road running through Shinano Province (Nagano Prefecture). Overseeing this important post town, the salt route, and the strategically vital Tokaido route was Kakegawa Castle. In fact, the Tokaido crossed through the eastern section of the castle grounds, requiring travelers to cross a moat, enter the castle grounds, and then exit again, ensuring the route's security.
The initial version of Kakegawa Castle was built around the 1470s by Asahina Yasuhiro, a samurai under the powerful Imagawa clan of Suruga (Shizuoka Prefecture). Following the fall of the Imagawa clan at the Battle of Okehazama in 1560 at the hands of Oda Nobunaga, the lands of the Imagawa were divided between the rival Tokugawa and Takeda clans. Although Kakegawa was within Takeda territory, it was peacefully surrendered to the Tokugawa in 1568. Tokugawa Ieyasu controlled the castle until 1590, when Toyotomi Hideyoshi, having gained control of most of the nation, forced Ieyasu to accept domains in the Kanto region, based in Edo, and cede his other provinces.
Kakegawa was then commanded by Toyotomi retainer Yamanouchi Kazutoyo (Yamauchi Katsutomo), who completely redesigned and improved the castle. The remaining stone walls, moats, and the basic layout of the castle date from Yamanouchi’s time. The keep built by Yamanouchi was destroyed by an earthquake in 1604 and was not rebuilt until 1621.
The Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 saw control of the nation fall into the hands of the victorious Tokugawa Ieyasu. Yamanouchi was transferred to Kochi in Shikoku, and Hisamatsu Sadakatsu, Tokugawa Ieyasu’s half-brother, became the first in a line of mostly Tokugawa-related lords who ruled until 1746.The Ota clan then held the fortress for seven generations until the end of the Edo period.
The castle was well maintained until the great Ansei Earthquakes of 1854 caused extensive damage. Apart from the keep, many of the buildings were repaired by 1861, and following the end of Tokugawa rule, were used as regional administrative offices.
The original Otemon guardhouse still stands, although in a different location, as Kakegawa City Hall was built on the site of the Otemon Yagura, which was relocated to its current position. Six gates once guarded the central precinct. The Otemon has been reconstructed, although about 50 meters west of its original position. The third gate, Fuki-no-Mon, is now part of Enman-ji Temple. The gate was transferred there at the beginning of the Meiji Period but was lowered by 70 cm. Likewise, the Ote-San-Mon was given to the nearby Yusan-ji Temple in Fukuroi, where it remains.
The Ni-no-Maru Goten, a simple yet elegant palace on the flatlands below the hill, remains intact to this day. Built by Daimyo Ota Sukekatsu after the 1854 earthquake and before the collapse of the shogunate, it is among the last truly original Edo period castle structures and is registered as a National Important Property. The land and a substantial amount of money to finance the castle's rebuilding were left to the city by a wealthy resident. With local donations, the keep, some yagura watchtowers, and walled sections were rebuilt in 1994 in the traditional manner, making Kakegawa the first post-war castle to be constructed in wood.
See also
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Nagoya Castle
Nagoya Castle, originally built by the Owari Domain in 1612 during the Edo period, stands on the site of an earlier Oda clan castle from the Sengoku period. It became the centerpiece of Nagoya-juku, a significant castle town on the Minoji road, which connected two major Edo Five Routes: the Tokaido and the Nakasendo. In 1930, ownership of the castle was transferred to the city by the Imperial Household Ministry, establishing it as the focal point of modern Nagoya. Although partially destroyed in the Pacific War in 1945, the castle has undergone continuous restoration and preservation efforts since 1957.
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Matsushiro Castle
Matsushiro Castle, originally known as Kaizu Castle, is located in what was once Matsushiro town, now part of Nagano City. The site is recognized as a National Historic Site of Japan. Situated on the northern Shinano flatlands between the Chikuma River and a former riverbed that serves as a natural outer moat to the north, the castle and its surrounding town were prone to flooding due to their location.
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Fushimi Castle
Fushimi Castle, also known as Momoyama Castle or Fushimi-Momoyama Castle, is located in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto. Originally built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi between 1592 and 1594 as his retirement residence, the castle was destroyed by the 1596 Keichō–Fushimi earthquake and later rebuilt. However, it was demolished again in 1623, and its site now houses the tomb of Emperor Meiji. A replica of the castle was constructed nearby in 1964.
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Odawara Castle
Odawara Castle, located in the city of Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, is a reconstructed historical site with roots dating back to the Kamakura period (1185–1333). The current donjon (main keep) was rebuilt using reinforced concrete in 1960 on the stone foundation of the original structure, which was dismantled between 1870 and 1872 during the Meiji Restoration.
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Shinpu Castle
Shinpu Castle was a Japanese hirayama-style fortress from the Sengoku period, situated in what is now Nirasaki, Yamanashi Prefecture. It served as the main stronghold of warlord Takeda Katsuyori. Designated as a National Historic Site in 1973, the castle occupies a strategic position on a mountain with steep cliffs, overlooking the Kamanashi River to the west of Kofu, where Takeda Shingen’s Tsutsujigasaki Castle once stood.
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Takato Castle
Takato Castle, located in the city of Ina in southern Nagano Prefecture, Japan, was a notable stronghold during the Sengoku period. By the end of the Edo period, it was the residence of a cadet branch of the Naito clan, the daimyo of the Takato Domain. Also known as Kabuto Castle, it was originally constructed in the 16th century and is now mostly in ruins.
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Takatenjin Castle
Takatenjin Castle was a yamashiro-style fortress from Japan's Sengoku period, situated in the Kamihijikata and Shimohijikata districts of Kakegawa, Shizuoka Prefecture. Designated a National Historic Site in 1975, with an expanded protected area in 2007, its ruins remain a significant historical landmark.
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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.
