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.
Following the death of his father, Takeda Shingen, Katsuyori initially expanded his territories into eastern Mino Province. However, after suffering a devastating defeat at the Battle of Nagashino against Oda Nobunaga’s matchlock-armed forces, in which he lost four of his top generals, the Takeda clan found themselves beset by hostile neighbors like the Oda, Tokugawa, Uesugi, and Odawara Hojo clans. Seeking a more defensible position, Katsuyori relocated his headquarters to Shinpu Castle in 1581, despite resistance from many of his vassals.
Shinpu Castle was built atop a hill formed by ancient lava flows from Mount Yatsugatake, with defenses stretching 500 meters north to south and 200 meters wide. Its inner bailey, positioned at the hilltop, connected to the main gate via a secondary bailey. The layout bore similarities to Tsutsujigasaki Castle. South of the central area was a third bailey, fortified by a clay wall, and the main gate featured additional protection in the form of a half-circular fortification with a dry moat. The northern side of the castle had further fortifications, including two barriers extending into a water moat. Construction was completed in just eight months under the supervision of Sanada Masayuki.
However, in early 1582, before the castle or its accompanying town were fully built, an alliance between Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu launched an invasion into the Takeda territories after the defection of Kiso Yoshimasa. Shinpu Castle, along with other Takeda strongholds, fell quickly to this advance. After the defeat at the Battle of Tenmokuzan, Katsuyori, with only 300-400 men left, abandoned and set fire to Shinpu Castle, retreating into the mountains in an attempt to reach Iwadono Castle. Despite advice from Sanada Masayuki to flee to Iwabitsu Castle, Katsuyori pressed on to Iwadono, only to be denied entry by Oyamada Nobushige, an old Takeda retainer. Facing no other option, Katsuyori committed suicide while his remaining forces delayed the pursuers.
Afterward, Oda Nobunaga sent Kawajiri Hidetaka to take control of Shinpu Castle while Tokugawa Ieyasu continued clearing out the remnants of the Takeda forces. The castle briefly became a Tokugawa stronghold before being abandoned and left to ruin. Today, no structures remain except for remnants of dry moats and earthenworks. A Shinto shrine now stands on the former site of the Inner bailey, and in 2017, the castle was listed among the Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles. It is a 10-minute walk from Shinpu Station on the JR East Chūo Main Line.
See also
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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.
Kishiwada Castle
The celebrated 14th-century military commander Kusunoki Masashige (1294–1336), who owned extensive lands south of what is now the city of Osaka, ordered one of his vassals, Kishiwada Osamu, to build a fortified residence. This order was carried out around 1336. These fortifications became the first structures on the site of what would later become Kishiwada Castle. From the beginning, the castle stood in a strategically important location—roughly halfway between the cities of Wakayama and Osaka, south of the key port of Sakai. Because of this position, it changed hands several times during periods of warfare.
Kaminoyama Castle
Kamino-yama Castle stood at the center of an important logistics hub, in the middle of the Yonezawa Plain, which served as the gateway to the western part of the Tohoku region. Roads connecting the Aizu, Fukushima, and Yamagata areas intersected here.
