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.
The castle was designed in a concentric layout, with the Central Bailey (Hon-Maru) at its core, protected by walls and initially featuring a tenshu (main keep) in its northwest corner, which was later replaced by a yagura (turret). A moat surrounded the Central Bailey, which was itself encircled by the Second Bailey (Ni-no-Maru), featuring earthen ramparts and stone fortifications near its gates. The Second Bailey was bordered by a dry moat on its south and east, while the Third Bailey (San-no-Maru) lay beyond. The palace and official residences of the daimyo were located in the Hana-no-Maru enclosure, adjacent to the main defenses.
The castle’s origins date back to 1560, when it was built by Yamamoto Kansuke under the command of Takeda Shingen and named Kaizu Castle. Kosaka Danjo (Kosaka Masanobu), a retainer of the Takeda clan, was its first commander. Takeda Shingen used the castle in his battles against Uesugi Kenshin for control over northern Shinano Province. The castle is located near the site of the famed Battle of Kawanakajima, where the Takeda and Uesugi forces fought several times.
After the fall of the Takeda clan, the castle changed hands, eventually coming under Oda Nobunaga's control. However, following Nobunaga's assassination during the 1582 Honno-ji incident, Uesugi Kagekatsu reclaimed northern Shinano. The castle became a point of contention between the Uesugi and Sanada clans. Under Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s rule, the Uesugi were moved to Aizu, and after Hideyoshi’s death, the Tokugawa shogunate assigned Sanada Nobuyuki to Matsushiro Domain in 1622, relocating him from Ueda.
The castle was renamed Matsushiro Castle in 1711 by Sanada Yukimichi, the third-generation daimyo of the Sanada family. After a fire destroyed the castle in 1717, it was rebuilt the following year with the help of a 10,000 ryo donation from the Tokugawa shogunate. The castle sustained severe damage from a flood in 1742, and reconstruction continued until 1758. In 1770, the palace structures were moved to the Hana-no-Maru enclosure and rebuilt in 1804, but much of the castle was damaged again by an earthquake in 1847. Following another fire in 1853, the palace was rebuilt, and a secondary palace was constructed outside the castle in 1864.
After the Meiji Restoration and the abolition of the han system, most of the remaining structures of Matsushiro Castle were dismantled in 1871. In 1873, the remaining parts were destroyed by a fire, leaving only the stone foundations that remain today.
See also
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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.
