Kuroda Yoshitaka (1546–1604) was one of the closest advisors to the legendary military commander Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He took part in key military campaigns of the late 16th century, including the campaign against Shikoku in 1585 and the campaign against Kyushu in 1587. Later, during the second campaign in Korea, Yoshitaka served as chief advisor to the commander of the invasion forces, Kobayakawa Hideaki. After Hideyoshi's death, he swore allegiance to Tokugawa Ieyasu, thereby securing his influence and patronage under Japan's new leader.
In 1587, Toyotomi Hideyoshi commissioned Yoshitaka to build a new castle on the current site. By 1588, the main buildings had been completed. This castle was named Nakatsu and became one of the rare examples of so-called mizujiro, or “castles on water.” One side of the fortress faced directly onto the sea, and during high tide, seawater filled the moats, turning the castle into a natural fortress. The layout of the castle resembled an open fan, which is why it was also given the poetic name Ogijō, meaning “fan castle.”
After the great battle of Sekigahara in 1600, which brought victory to Tokugawa Ieyasu, Kuroda Yoshitaka received richer possessions in the territory of modern Fukuoka Prefecture. Nakatsu Castle was transferred to Hosokawa Tadaoki. The new owner fortified and expanded the castle, but at the same time began construction of his new residence, Kokura Castle. When Kokura was ready, Tadaoki transferred Nakatsu to his son, Hosokawa Tadatosi.
Later, the castle passed into the possession of the Ogasawara clan, and in 1717 it was given to Okudaira Masashige. The Okudaira clan owned the fortress until the Meiji Restoration. At various times, famous people lived within the walls of Nakatsu: the scholar Maeno Ryotaku (1723–1803), author of a Japanese-Dutch dictionary, and the outstanding Meiji-era philosopher Fukuzawa Yukichi (1834–1901).
In 1877, during Saigo Takamori's rebellion against the new Japanese government, the castle was severely damaged, with 22 watchtowers and the main keep burned down. It was not until 1964 that the keep was rebuilt in reinforced concrete with funds from the descendants of the Okudaira clan. Since the original drawings and images of the castle were not preserved, archival photographs of Hagi Castle, destroyed in 1874, were used for the reconstruction.
Until 2010, the castle buildings were privately owned, after which they were purchased by a company from Saitama Prefecture. The modern donjon of Nakatsu Castle consists of five tiers and five floors, and its walls are covered with black boards. A two-tiered watchtower stands nearby, and the residence of Yukichi Fukuzawa has also been restored.
Today, the donjon houses a historical museum with an interesting collection of artifacts. Matchlock guns occupy a special place, as there are quite a few of them here. In addition, reenactment festivals are regularly held near the castle, where shooting with ancient weapons is demonstrated.
Nakatsu Castle is also associated with the descendants of the samurai Ochia Michihisa, the very warrior who depicted the crucified Torii Sunemon, the hero of the siege of Nagashino Castle, on his battle flag.
See also
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Okayama Castle
According to a number of accounts, the earliest fortifications on the site of present-day Okayama Castle appeared as early as the 14th century and were built by the Nawa clan. The Asahigawa River was used as a natural defensive barrier, protecting one side of the fortifications.
In the early 16th century, the Kanamitsu clan constructed a new castle here, which at the time was known as Ishiyama. In 1573, it came under the control of the Ukita clan, after which Ukita Naoie (1529–1582) launched large-scale reconstruction efforts. He did not live to see the work completed, and construction was continued by his son Hideie. -
Nagahama Castle
Hashiba, later known as Toyotomi Hideyoshi, received Odani Castle and the surrounding lands from Oda Nobunaga after the defeat of the Azai clan. However, Odani Castle was located high in the mountains, which made it poorly suited for the effective administration of the territory. For this reason, in 1575 Hideyoshi began constructing a new castle in the village of Imahama on the shore of Lake Biwa. Taking the character naga from Nobunaga’s name, he renamed both the village and the new castle Nagahama.
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Kokura Castle
Kokura Castle is traditionally considered to have been founded by Hosokawa Tadaoki (1563–1645), although by the time the Hosokawa clan came to control these lands, the fortification had already existed since at least 1569 and was most likely built by members of the Mori clan.
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Ikeda Castle
In 1334, Ikeda Noriyoshi built a small fort on this site, which over time was repeatedly expanded and rebuilt. During the Ōnin War of 1467–1477, the Ikeda clan supported the Western Coalition. As a result, Ikeda Castle was attacked and captured by the forces of the Eastern Coalition, but it was soon recaptured, allowing it to avoid serious destruction.
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Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle
Aizu-Wakamatsu is the most powerful and at the same time the oldest castle in the Tōhoku region in the north of Honshu Island. Its history begins in the 14th century and is closely connected with the Ashina clan, whose members claimed descent from the legendary Taira family.
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Maruoka Castle
Maruoka Castle is located in the central part of the former city of Maruoka, which is now part of the city of Sakai. This area lies in the northeastern part of Fukui Prefecture. The castle was built on the bank of the Kuzuryu River, on the side opposite Fukui City, which once served as the administrative center of the former Echizen Province. Thanks to its location, Maruoka held significant strategic importance, as it controlled two major routes at once: the Hokurikudo highway leading from Kaga Province and the Mino Kaido road connecting these lands with Mino Province.
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Marugame Castle
Marugame is part of the so-called “Authentic Dozen,” a group of twelve castles whose donjons have survived to the present day without major reconstructions since the Edo period.
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Iyo Matsuyama Castle
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.
