Tsu Castle, located in Tsu City, Mie Prefecture, was originally built by Hosono Fujiatsu in 1558 and was known as Anotsu Castle, named after the old region. The site was strategically chosen at the confluence of the Ano and Iwata Rivers, which naturally formed a moat around the castle, while the nearby port served as a vital trade route.
The castle, as it is now known, was established by Oda Nobukane, the younger brother of Oda Nobunaga, as a strategic base for the Oda clan's expansion into the Ise Peninsula. Nobukane constructed an impressive complex featuring the Honmaru, Ni-no-Maru, and San-no-Maru baileys, along with a five-story keep and a smaller sub-keep. In 1595, he handed control to the Tomita Clan, who held it for only five years.
During the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Tomita Nobuhiro and his 1,300 samurai defended Tsu Castle against a combined force of 30,000 Western allies led by Mori Terumoto and Chosokabe Morichika. The castle was largely destroyed by fire. Despite the destruction, the Tomita were rewarded by Tokugawa Ieyasu and began reconstructing the castle until their transfer to Uwajima in 1608. Tsu Castle was then entrusted to Todo Takatora, a master castle architect.
Instead of restoring the original five-story keep, Takatora built two simpler, three-story yagura watchtowers, connected by single-story tamon-yagura that encircled the Honmaru. The castle featured two main masugata gate systems and was flanked by the Higashi-Maru and Nishi-no-Maru baileys, with the grand Ni-no-Maru Palace in the western section.
The decision not to rebuild an elaborate keep was influenced by the Tokugawa Shogunate's laws restricting castle expansions to prevent further conflicts. Additionally, Takatora, who had initially sided with the West at Sekigahara, likely avoided raising suspicions with his new ally, the shogun.
Takatora's descendants ruled Tsu Castle for 263 years until Japan's feudal system was abolished in 1871, leading to the castle's demolition. A corner yagura was reconstructed in concrete in 1958, with enhanced gables for aesthetic appeal.
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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Takatenjin Castle
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.
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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.
