Kiyosu Castle was initially constructed around 1405 by Shiba Yoshishige, the Governor of Owari, serving as a major strategic defense and later as the seat of power for the Owari region (now Aichi Prefecture). One branch of the Oda clan, administrators of Owari, took control of southern Owari and Kiyosu Castle from 1476, while the other branch was based in Iwakura Castle, overseeing northern Owari.
Kiyosu Castle was the launch point for many significant samurai battles during the turbulent Sengoku, or Warring States Period (1450-1615), including the battles of Okehazama (1560), Anegawa (1570), Nagashino (1575), and Sekigahara (1600).
In 1555, after the death of his father, Oda Nobunaga enlisted the help of his uncle, Oda Nobumitsu, to attack and kill Oda Nobutomo, the clan leader at Kiyosu Castle. Nobunaga subsequently relocated from Nagoya Castle to Kiyosu. Two years later, he discovered a plot by his younger brother, Nobuyuki, to overthrow him. Feigning illness, Nobunaga drew Nobuyuki close and assassinated him within Kiyosu Castle, thereby eliminating opposition and ensuring clan stability.
Kiyosu remained Nobunaga’s base for many years, during which time the city flourished due to his economic reforms and enhanced security. The castle grounds once spanned 1.6 kilometers east-west and 2.8 kilometers north-south, featuring an outer, central, and inner moat system.
On July 16, 1582, just weeks after Nobunaga’s death at Honno-ji Temple in Kyoto, an important meeting regarding the Oda clan’s succession, known as the Kiyosu Conference, was held at Kiyosu Castle. Top Oda retainers, including Shibata Katsuie, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Niwa Nagahide, and Ikeda Tsuneoki, gathered to decide on Nobunaga’s successor. With Nobunaga’s designated heir, Nobutada, having died at Nijo Castle, the succession was contested between Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who supported Oda Samboshi (Nobunaga’s infant grandson), and Shibata Katsuie, who backed Nobunaga’s third son, Nobutaka. The conference ended without resolution, leading to escalating tensions between Hideyoshi and Katsuie, culminating in the Battle of Shizugatake. Ultimately, Hideyoshi triumphed, leading to Katsuie’s defeat and suicide, and Hideyoshi's eventual domination of Japan.
Following the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Kiyosu Castle saw various masters. It was reconstructed in concrete in 1989 across a small river from its original location. The actual site of the keep now features the "Kiyosu Furusato no Yakata," a small rest area and souvenir stall. Surprisingly, the JR train lines and Bullet Train lines run directly through the old castle site. The southern half of Kiyosu Castle is now a park with statues of Oda Nobunaga in full armor and his wife, Princess No-Hime.
The current reconstructed Kiyosu Castle serves as a symbol of Kiyosu City and houses a well-planned museum featuring fascinating displays and artifacts related to the castle’s history and its role in the Period of Warring States.
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.
