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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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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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.
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Yamato Koriyama Castle
The impressive ruins of Koriyama Castle sit atop a small hill, surrounded by two rivers. The strategic positioning and strong layout of the castle served it well through the final years of the Sengoku period and the peaceful days of the Edo period.
