Uwajima Castle, located in Uwajima City, Ehime Prefecture, Shikoku, is one of the 12 remaining Japanese castles with an original keep. Known for its small size, Uwajima Castle is relatively difficult to access, which means it is less frequented by tourists.
The castle's history dates back to 941 when initial fortifications were built on the hill. In 1236, these were expanded, and the castle was known as Marukushi Castle. The Chosokabe clan later controlled it, facing attacks from the powerful Otomo clan. In 1585, Toyotomi Hideyoshi seized the castle during his campaign to conquer Shikoku, placing his retainers in charge. The Todo clan was awarded the domain in 1595, leading to a major restoration by the renowned castle architect, Todo Takatora. The castle was renamed Uwajima in 1601, just before the Todo clan was transferred to Imabari Castle, and the Tomita clan took over.
In 1615, Date Hidemune, from the Sendai-based Date clan, was given control of the castle, with his descendants ruling until the end of the Edo period. While the basic layout of the castle remains from Takatora’s era, the Date clan completed the stone walls, gates, and yagura. The keep, built in the 1670s and designated an Important Cultural Property, is one of the smallest in Japan. Its entranceway roofing was added around 1850.
The keep's base, the Tenshu-dai, features precisely cut stones with a narrow ledge around the top, known as an Inu-michi or "Dog’s Walk." This design was due to the erosion of the softer natural stone beneath, necessitating a stronger stone cap.
Inside the keep, the third floor houses a design model from the early Edo period used for construction and repairs. Unique to Uwajima and Himeji castles are the long, thin ventilation windows on this floor, designed to vent smoke from matchlock guns. However, the keep's design hindered defensive capabilities, with the triangular roof features limiting window gun firing access and range.
Most visitors enter from the gate at the bottom of the hill, originally the main gate of the Kori clan residence. The main castle gate, Nobori-Tachi-Mon, is on the mountain's opposite side. This old Yakui-Mon gate, the largest and oldest in Japan, was built between 1596 and 1615. Unlike the typical Korai-Mon gates, this rare gate lacks reinforcing beams and a U-shaped roof.
Historically, the bottom of the hill met the ocean, providing natural protection and allowing ships to enter the castle. However, land reclamation projects since the Edo period have left the castle inland.
Uwajima Castle was abandoned in 1871, with most structures demolished by 1900. The Ote Mon, the main gate, was destroyed during WWII bombing. In 1950, the castle was designated an Important Cultural Property. Besides the keep and stone walls, the remaining Yamazato Kura, built in 1845 and relocated in 1966, serves as a simple museum.
See also
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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.
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Yamanaka Castle
Yamanaka Castle, established by Hojo Ujiyasu in the 1560s, is located in what is now eastern Mishima, Shizuoka Prefecture. This castle served as the first line of western defense for the main Hojo Castle at Odawara. Carved into the side of a 586-meter-high mountain, Yamanaka Castle was strategically positioned along the Tokaido Highway, offering superb views of nearby Mt. Fuji, the ocean, and the road leading to Odawara.
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Ueda Castle
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.
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Tsuyama Castle
Tsuyama Castle, located in Tsuyama City, Okayama Prefecture, is celebrated as one of Japan's top three major hilltop (Hirayama) castles, alongside Himeji and Matsuyama Castles. Originally, Tsuyama Castle comprised 77 structures, including the main keep, various yagura (watchtowers), gates, palaces, and living quarters. For comparison, Hiroshima Castle had 76 structures, and Himeji had 61. The first castle on this site was built in 1441 but was soon abandoned. The large-scale construction that we recognize today began in 1603 under the orders of Mori Tadamasa. The castle served as the administrative base for the Tsuyama Han daimyo, the Mori clan from 1603 to 1697, and the Matsudaira clan from 1698 to 1871.
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Tsu Castle
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.
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Sasayama Castle
Tamba Sasayama Castle, also known as Sasayama or Kirigajo (Mist Castle), is a flatland castle (hira-jiro) situated on a gentle rise in the Tamba region of Hyogo Prefecture. It was constructed in 1608 as part of Tokugawa Ieyasu's strategy to prepare for an attack on Osaka, aiming to bring an end to the Toyotomi clan. Ieyasu ordered the castle's construction using the Tenka Bushin system, engaging 20 former enemy daimyo and their forces to complete the complex within six months. This system kept the former enemies close and preoccupied, financially straining them and limiting their capacity for further conflict. The stones used in Sasayama Castle feature engravings called kokumon, indicating who made each part of the walls and preventing theft by other lords' men.
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Sadowara Castle
Sadowara Castle in Miyazaki Prefecture was a mountaintop yamajiro castle, initially built by the Tajima clan during the Nanboku-Cho period (1334-1394). As was typical of castles from that era, Mt. Kakusho, the chosen mountain, was terraced to create various baileys, or kuruwa. While defensive structures were constructed at the top and around the mountain, the lord's main living quarters and administrative offices were situated at the mountain's base.
