Sadowara Castle in Miyazaki Prefecture was a mountaintop yamajiro castle, initially built by the Tajima clan during the Nanboku-Cho period (1334-1394). As was typical of castles from that era, Mt. Kakusho, the chosen mountain, was terraced to create various baileys, or kuruwa. While defensive structures were constructed at the top and around the mountain, the lord's main living quarters and administrative offices were situated at the mountain's base.
Around 1427, the powerful Ito clan of Miyazaki Prefecture seized Sadowara Castle from the Tajima clan. The Ito clan occupied the castle until 1537, when a fire severely damaged it, prompting them to relocate to Miyazaki Castle for five years while repairs were undertaken. In 1568, the Ito clan returned to Sadowara, making it their primary stronghold. However, the castle changed hands several times thereafter: the Otomo clan took control in 1577, only to lose it to the Shimazu clan in 1579. After the death of Lord Shimazu Iehisa, his successor Shimazu Toyohisa fell at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, and Sadowara Castle became Tokugawa property. Despite their former opposition to the Tokugawa, Toyohisa's cousin was appointed castellan in 1693.
The castle underwent significant expansion in 1610, with the construction of a three-story keep, yagura watchtowers, and fortified gates. The remains of the keep indicate it measured approximately 11m by 12m. Excavations revealed parts of a shachihoko, the ornamental tiger-fish roof adornment found on castles and temples, suggesting that gold-covered shachihoko ornaments, 50cm wide and 80cm high, once adorned the keep’s roof.
The paths to the Honmaru, the main central bailey, were carved from the mountain, creating trenches that could trap attacking forces, while defenders could attack from above. Gates along these trenches regulated the flow of potential attackers. By around 1625, the Ni-no-Maru palace and samurai living quarters were built in the defensible narrow valley below the mountaintop.
Sadowara Castle safeguarded the central Miyazaki region until 1870 when the 10th Shimazu lord abandoned it. Like many other castles across Japan, it was demolished in 1871. In 1994, the Ni-no-Maru palace was reconstructed based on studies of the foundation stones and research into 17th-century architectural styles.
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.
