Ueda Castle in Nagano Prefecture once stood prominently on a cliff overlooking the Saigawa River. Also known as Amagafuchi-Jo, Isesaki-Jo, Matsuo-Jo, and Sanada-Jo, it was built around 1583 by its first master, Sanada Masayuki. This sturdy yet small fortress cleverly utilized the surrounding natural defenses, including the river, steep rocky cliffs, the layout of the town below, and the strategically designed waterways to hinder attackers. Ueda Castle was fortified with seven defensive yagura (watchtowers) atop robust stone walls and had two large gates with watchtowers above them.
Ueda Castle is renowned for having repelled the powerful Tokugawa clan twice. The first siege occurred from August to December 1585 when 7,000 Tokugawa troops faced 2,000 Sanada defenders. The second defense was in 1600, just before the Battle of Sekigahara, where 2,500 Sanada samurai held off 38,000 Tokugawa warriors led by Tokugawa Hidetada.
In the Battle of Kami River, Sanada Masayuki lured the Tokugawa attackers close to the castle before ambushing them with a reserve army. The Tokugawa forces, confused and unable to recover, hastily retreated. Support from the powerful Uesugi clan of Echigo further deterred the Tokugawa, solidifying Sanada Masayuki's reputation. In 1600, Hidetada's siege delayed his arrival at Sekigahara, causing his father, Tokugawa Ieyasu, great frustration as Hidetada arrived hours after the battle had ended.
Following the Battle of Sekigahara, Sanada Masayuki and his son, Yukimura (Nobushige), were exiled to a temple on Mount Koya. Tokugawa Ieyasu gave Ueda Castle to Sanada Nobuyuki but ordered its destruction. Nobuyuki complied after moving to nearby Matsushiro Castle. In 1622, daimyo Sengoku Tadamasa began rebuilding Ueda Castle, restoring the moats and the central Honmaru and Ni-no-Maru baileys. Although the seven yagura watchtowers and two main gates were completed, further construction ceased upon Sengoku's death. The current three yagura date from Sengoku Tadamasa’s period. The Sengoku clan ruled the castle from 1622 to 1706, followed by the Matsudaira (Fujii) clan until 1872.
In 1871, Ueda Castle was abandoned, and three years later, its grounds and remaining structures were auctioned off. The Nishi Yagura watchtower remained, while the North and South Yagura were dismantled, moved to the outskirts of town, and used as a brothel. Later sold to a restaurant in Tokyo, these two yagura were eventually bought by Ueda citizens and returned to the castle's stone walls in 1949. The fate of the remaining four original watchtowers is unknown.
In 1927 and during later excavations, it was discovered that Ueda Castle's roof tiles were gilded in gold. Evidence of golden shachihoko (tiger-fish roof ornaments) was also found. Gilded roof tiles were common in larger castles like Oda Nobunaga’s Azuchi Castle and Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s Fushimi and Osaka Castles, but rare for a smaller castle like Ueda.
In 1994, the main Yagura-Mon gate was reconstructed, 110 years after the original was dismantled. Near the gate is the Sanada Ishi, a massive rock measuring 2.5 x 3 meters, built into the stone rampart. Such large rocks were a display of the lord’s power and wealth. A well by the Sanada Shrine within the castle grounds is believed to have been a secret tunnel leading out to the north of the castle.
From 1929, the West Yagura served as a museum featuring the Matsudaira family treasures, including weapons, armor, and manuscripts. The Ni-no-Maru now houses the Ueno City Museum, displaying an impressive collection of samurai armor and weapons. Ueda High School stands on the site of the Honmaru Goten palace, with the moats and gate now serving the school.
Nagano Prefecture’s Ueda Castle, though small, holds significant historical importance and remains one of the most popular samurai castles to visit.
See also
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
