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.
The castle is situated on a hill in what was once Takato Town, at the eastern edge of the Ina Valley in southern Nagano. It was strategically positioned at the crossroads of the Akiba Kaido, a route connecting Totomi Province with the Suwa region of Shinano and Kai Province, and a road leading to western Ina Valley and Mino Province. The location was crucial for controlling southern Shinano from Kai Province. The castle overlooked the confluence of the Mibugawa and Fujisawa rivers, which provided natural defenses. Its fortifications included deep trenches, earthen ramparts, and stone walls, arranged in concentric rings, typical of Takeda Shingen’s style. The Central Bailey was protected by the Second and Third Baileys, along with four additional enclosures. Most of the gates were box-shaped for added defense. During the Edo period, the castle’s front gate was moved to the west to face the castle town directly. A han school, constructed in 1860, was situated within the Third Bailey, and a few samurai residences from that era still remain in the surrounding area.
The exact date of Takato Castle’s construction is unknown, but before it existed, there was another fortification controlled by the Takato clan, retainers of the Suwa clan, who had dominated the region since the Kamakura period. In 1545, Takeda Shingen broke his alliance with the Suwa clan and captured Takato Castle during his campaign to conquer southern Shinano. After seizing the castle, Shingen had it completely rebuilt according to contemporary military designs by his strategist, Yamamoto Kansuke. Shingen granted the castle to his retainer, Akiyama Nobutomo, and later passed it on to his son, Takeda Katsuyori. From Takato Castle, Shingen launched his invasion of Mino Province and his final campaign toward Kyoto in 1572.
After Shingen's death, the castle was defended by Nishina Morinobu, Katsuyori's younger brother. However, in 1582, Oda Nobutada, son of Oda Nobunaga, captured the castle during the Battle of Temmokuzan, overwhelming the 3,000 defenders with 50,000 troops. Despite Nishina’s valiant resistance, the Takeda forces were ultimately defeated.
Following the destruction of the Takeda clan, Takato Castle was granted to Nobunaga’s general Mori Hideyori. After Nobunaga’s assassination in the Honno-ji Incident, the castle fell under the control of Tokugawa Ieyasu, who assigned it to Hoshina Masanao. When the Tokugawa were relocated to the Kanto region by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1590, Takato was given to Hideyoshi’s general, Ogasawara Sadayoshi. Tokugawa Ieyasu regained control of the castle after the Battle of Sekigahara in 1603, and under the Tokugawa shogunate, Takato became the center of the 30,000 koku Takato Domain, ruled by the Hoshina clan. The Hoshina were succeeded by the Torii clan (1636–1689) before the Naito clan took control until the Meiji Restoration.
With the establishment of the Meiji government and the abolition of the han system, the castle structures were dismantled, and surviving gates were donated to nearby temples or sold to private owners. Today, the site is preserved as Takato Castle Ruins Park (Takatojoshi Koen), famous for its cherry blossoms, which were planted in the Meiji period. The park is considered one of Japan’s top three cherry blossom viewing spots, alongside Hirosaki Castle and Mount Yoshino. Though little of the original castle remains, some moats and stone walls have survived. One yagura has been reconstructed, and the Otemon (main gate), which had been moved to a high school, was returned to its original site in 1984. The oldest remaining building on the castle grounds is the Shintokukan, a former han school built by the last daimyo of Takato, Naito Yorinao.
See also
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Sawayama Castle
During the Kamakura period, Sabo Tokitsuna, the sixth son of Sasaki Sadatsuna, built a fort on Mount Sawayama. This fort occupied a strategically important position because it allowed control over traffic along the important Tōsandō route, which was later known as Nakasendō. This road connected the capital, Kyoto, with the eastern regions of the country. Due to its location, the fortification held great military importance, and during periods of civil war it repeatedly became the site of fierce battles.
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Nadzima Castle
It is believed that the first structures on this site were built by Tachibana Akitoshi (?-1568), head of the Tachibana clan, a branch family of the Ōtomo clan, as auxiliary fortifications for Tachibanayama Castle. In 1587, Toyotomi Hideyoshi established control over the island of Kyushu and granted Chikuzen Province to Kobayakawa Takakage, one of the leading vassals of the Mori clan. Takakage began construction of a new castle on the site of the existing fortifications in 1588. The exact date of completion is unknown, but by the time the invasion of Korea began in 1592, the castle had already been finished, as records note that Toyotomi Hideyoshi stayed there overnight on his way to Hizen Nagoya Castle, which served as the headquarters of the invasion forces.
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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.
