The founder of the Chiba clan is considered to be Chiba Tsunesige (1083–1180), who in 1126 moved his residence to the Inohana area and built a strongly fortified stronghold there. Although Tsunesige himself came from the Taira clan, the Chiba clan later supported Minamoto no Yoritomo, the future founder of the first shogunate.
Tsunesige’s son and successor, Chiba Tsunetane (1118–1201), fought on the Minamoto side during the Genpei War, taking part in particular in the Battle of Fujikawa in 1180 and the Battle of Ichinotani in 1184.
For their contributions to the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate, the Chiba clan was granted the provinces of Shimosa and Kazusa. During the Kamakura period, the Chiba were regarded as one of the most powerful and influential clans. In the Muromachi period, alongside houses such as the Utsunomiya and Satake, they were counted among the “Eight Traditional Clans of the Kanto Region.”
Nearly every new lord of Chiba Castle expanded and strengthened it, and as a result the castle became one of the most formidable fortresses of its time.
However, internal conflicts within the clan gradually weakened the Chiba house and ultimately led to its decline in the mid-fifteenth century. During the so-called Kyotoku Incident—a series of armed clashes from 1454 to 1482 over control of the Kanto region among the Ashikaga, Uesugi, and other clans—Chiba Castle was attacked in 1455 by the forces of Hara Tanefusa, a former vassal of the Chiba clan.
In the same year, another blow was dealt to the Chiba clan by Makuwari Yasutane of a related family. He defeated the remaining heirs of the Chiba clan, took the Chiba surname for himself, and proclaimed himself the fourteenth head of the Chiba house. He built a new castle, Motosakura Castle, in the nearby town of Sakura. Chiba Castle was abandoned, and today only traces of earthen fortifications remain.
The history of the castle remains a subject of debate among modern scholars. According to another theory, Chiba Castle was originally founded by the Hara clan, while the Chiba maintained only a small fortified residence nearby.
In 1861, the ruins of Chiba Castle were selected as one of the “Eight Scenic Views of Chiba.” In 1909, the site was opened to the public, and in 1959 the “Inohana Historical Park” was established on the site of the ruins.
In 1967, a massive five-story donjon made of reinforced concrete was built in Inohana Park. It has no connection to the historical castle, as towers of this type did not yet exist in the fifteenth century. It should be noted that, unlike many other so-called bastard castles, this structure is honestly designated by the city authorities as a “historical museum in the form of a medieval castle,” rather than a reconstruction. In other words, the local community is not attempting to capitalize on the claim of having reconstructed a historical castle, and such honesty can only be praised.
The museum houses a solid collection of artifacts, and the observation deck on the fifth floor offers an excellent view of the surrounding area—on clear days, even Mount Fuji can be seen.
The castle complex is designated as a “municipal historical site.” Another name for the castle is Inohana.
See also
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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.
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.
