Ogaki Castle, located in Ogaki City, Gifu Prefecture, was originally built around 1500 by Miyakawa Yasusada and named Ushiya Castle due to the Ushiya River serving as a natural moat. The castle was also known as Bi Castle and Kyoroku Castle. The Ogaki region held strategic importance as a transit point between Mino and Omi Provinces, a fact recognized by Saito Dosan, the Viper of Mino. When Oda Nobunaga captured Gifu Castle in 1567, Ogaki Castle came under Oda rule. Both Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi understood the strategic significance of the castle. In 1595, Hideyoshi ordered Ito Sukemori to expand the castle and construct the Tenshu keep.
Interestingly, Ogaki Castle featured four moats and a four-story keep, an unusual design since the number four (shi) is phonetically similar to the word for death, making it an unlucky number. To avoid the ominous connotation, the first floor was considered a base floor, and the "tower" was said to stand three stories high. Ogaki Castle was rumored to have been coated in lacquer over its whitewashed walls.
Ogaki Castle played a significant role in the Battle of Sekigahara, serving as the gathering site for Western forces under Ishida Mitsunari before being outmaneuvered by Eastern forces. Tokugawa Ieyasu had initially considered laying siege to Ogaki and even planned to flood the castle by damming the nearby Ibi and Kuise rivers. However, this approach would have been both time-consuming and costly. Instead, Ieyasu spread rumors that he would turn back through Sekigahara to capture Ishida Mitsunari's fief, Sawayama, and then attack Toyotomi Hideyori in Osaka Castle. This strategy lured Ishida Mitsunari and his forces out of Ogaki on the night of October 20, 1600. They marched 14 kilometers to Sekigahara under cover of darkness and rain, leading to the largest samurai battle in history the next morning.
Ogaki Castle was governed by three generations of the Ishikawa clan, followed by two generations of the Matsudaira (Hisamatsu) clan, two lords from the Abe clan, and then a single Matsudaira, before being handed over to the fudai daimyo Toda clan in 1635. The Toda clan controlled Ogaki for 12 generations until the Meiji Restoration. Outside the castle grounds, in front of the Tenshu, stands a statue of Toda Ujikane, the first Toda lord of Ogaki, dressed in armor and mounted on a horse.
Ogaki Castle's historical significance and survival from complete destruction during the Meiji period led to its designation as a National Treasure in 1936. However, it was destroyed by wartime aerial bombing raids nine years later. The castle was reconstructed in April 1959 using concrete and now houses a collection of items related to the castle and the Battle of Sekigahara. Parts of the outer moat are still visible, and from the air, the tree-lined canals' large square shape stands out among the urban landscape.
Interestingly, one of Ogaki Castle's gates now exists in Kakamigahara City, having been purchased and relocated when much of the castle was abandoned and demolished during the Meiji Period. Another gate was relocated to serve as the main gate for the Heirin-So Temple in Ogaki. Among Japan's castles, only four can be faithfully reconstructed, and Ogaki Castle is one of them, raising the possibility that it may someday be restored to its original wooden state.
See also
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Edo Castle
The history of Edo Castle dates back to the Heian period, when the Edo clan built a small fort on this site. In 1457, the vassal of the Uesugi clan, Ota Dokan (1432–1486), constructed a full-scale castle here. Internal conflicts weakened the Uesugi clan, and in 1524, Ota Dokan’s grandson, Ota Yasutaka, surrendered the castle without resistance to the forces of Hojo Soun, the ambitious leader of the Hojo clan. While Odawara Castle remained the clan's main stronghold, Edo was considered a key strategic fortress.
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Samurai Museum Shinjuku
Situated in the vibrant district of Shinjuku, the museum showcases an extensive collection of samurai armor, weapons, and cultural artifacts spanning from the Kamakura to the Edo period. The exhibits aim to convey the samurai's unwavering commitment to honor and discipline, reflecting how their spirit continues to influence modern Japanese culture.
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Anjo Castle
Anjo Castle was built on a slight elevation at the edge of the Hekikai Plateau, about 2 kilometers southeast of present-day central Anjo City in Aichi Prefecture. Today, the surrounding area thrives on large-scale agriculture and automotive manufacturing, utilizing the expansive flatlands and its proximity to the Nagoya region.
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Numata Castle
Numata Castle, located in Numata, northern Gunma Prefecture, Japan, has a rich and complex history. During the late Edo period, it served as the residence of the Toki clan, who ruled the Numata Domain. Over the centuries, the castle changed hands multiple times and was the site of significant battles during the Sengoku period.
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Iwabitsu Castle
Iwabitsu Castle is a yamashiro-style (mountain) castle located atop Mount Iwabitsu in Higashiagatsuma, Gunma Prefecture, Japan. Recognized for its historical significance, its ruins have been protected as a National Historic Site since 2019.
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Tsutsujigasaki Castle
Tsutsujigasaki Castle (Tsutsujigasaki Yakata) served as the fortified residence of the last three generations of the Takeda clan and is located in the heart of Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. Unlike traditional Japanese castles, it was not referred to as a "castle" in Japanese, as the Takeda clan famously believed in relying on their warriors as their true fortifications, stating, "Make men your castle, men your walls, men your moats." Designated a National Historic Site in 1938, the ruins are now open to the public and house the Takeda Shrine, a Shinto shrine dedicated to the deified spirits of the Takeda clan.
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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.
