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.
The castle stood on Mount Kakuo, a 200-meter-high mountain with steep cliffs, accessible only via a narrow path. Strategically important, it was considered the "key" to controlling Totomi Province and the nearby Tokaido highway, which lies 11 kilometers to the south. The castle's layout formed a "Z" shape, spanning the eastern and western peaks of the mountain, with a saddle-like ridge connecting the two. The eastern peak contained the original fortifications, including the inner bailey, while the western peak was added later by the Takeda clan. The castle was surrounded by terraces, dry moats, and earthen ramparts. Despite lacking stone walls, its steep terrain made it nearly impregnable.
The exact origins of Takatenjin Castle are uncertain, but it is believed to have been built by the Kushima clan in the 15th century. The Kushima were retainers of the Imagawa clan, but were eventually suppressed after siding against Imagawa Yoshimoto in an internal struggle. Yoshimoto later gave the castle to the Ogasawara clan. During the Battle of Anegawa in 1570, Tokugawa Ieyasu controlled the castle, leaving Ogasawara Nagatada as its castellan.
In 1571, Takeda Shingen besieged Takatenjin Castle with 20,000 troops but failed to capture it. Three years later, in the Siege of Takatenjin (1574), Takeda Katsuyori succeeded where his father had not, capturing the castle and earning great prestige. However, the victory was short-lived as the Takeda suffered heavy losses the following year to the Oda-Tokugawa alliance. By 1580, unable to maintain supply lines to the castle, Tokugawa Ieyasu decided to isolate it rather than attack directly. The defenders, running out of supplies, made a desperate attempt to break the siege in March 1581, led by their commander Okabe Motonobu. All 700 men were killed, and the castle was abandoned soon after.
Today, the city of Kakegawa preserves the castle ruins, with several hiking trails leading up the mountain. The summit hosts a Shinto shrine and monuments honoring the war dead from the Satsuma Rebellion and the First Sino-Japanese War. A faux tenshu (main keep) built before World War II was destroyed by lightning, leaving only a concrete foundation behind.
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.
