Kakegawa Castle
Encyclopedia
is a hirayama-style Japanese castle
. It was the seat of various fudai
daimyō
who ruled over Kakegawa Domain
, Tōtōmi Province
, in what is now central Kakegawa
, Shizuoka Prefecture
, Japan
.
(1469–1487), a retainer of the warlord Imagawa Yoshitada
to consolidate his holdings over Tōtōmi Province
. The castle remained in the hands of the succeeding generations of the Asahina clan
. After the defeat of the Imagawa clan at the Battle of Okehazama
, the former Imagawa territories were divided between Takeda Shingen
of Kai
and Tokugawa Ieyasu
of Mikawa
. Kakegawa Castle was surrendered to Tokugawa forces in 1568 by Asahina Yasutomo without resistance. The surrounding area remained a territory contested between the Tokugawa and Takeda for many years; however, Kakegawa Castle remained in Tokugawa hands until the fall of the Takeda clan.
After the Battle of Odawara in 1590 and the rise to power of Toyotomi Hideyoshi
, Tokugawa Ieyasu was forced to trade his domains in the Tōkai region
for the Kantō region
instead. Kakegawa was relinquished to Toyotomi retainer Yamauchi Kazutoyo
as the center of a new 51,000 koku
(later 59,000 koku) domain. Yamauchi Kazutoyo completely rebuilt the castle per the latest contemporary designs, and the current layout and much of the stone walls and moats date from his period.
After the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate
, the Tokugawa recovered their lost territories, and reassigned Tōtōmi to various fudai
daimyō
. The Yamauchi clan was reassigned to Kōchi
in Shikoku
, and Kakegawa was assigned initially to Hisamatsu Sadakatsu. Over the years, numerous daimyō clans ruled Kakegawa Domain, ending with seven generations of the Ota clan
. The keep built by the Yamauchi was destroyed in an earthquake in 1604, and reconstructed in 1621.
The castle was kept in repair through the Bakumatsu period, however it suffered from extensive damage in 1854, due to the Ansei Tōkai Earthquake. Many structures were rebuilt by 1861, and were in use after the Meiji Restoration
as local government offices; however, the keep was not rebuilt after the earthquake.
, with the exception of the (daimyō's mansion), built by Ota Sukekatsu
after the earthquake, and registered with the government in 1980 as an Important Cultural Property
. Other surviving portions of the castle included a portion of the moats and stone walls, and the drum house. A gate from the main bailey
of the castle built in 1659 was given to the Buddhist temple of Yusan-ji in Fukuroi
, where it now serves as the main gate of that temple. It is also a National ICP.
In April 1994, sections of the innermost bailey (honmaru), including some walls, a yagura
, and the keep (tenshukaku), were reconstructed using the original methods. The tenshukakus reconstruction was done based on a few diagrams of the original tenshukaku that survived, and marked the first time in post-war Japan that a tenshukaku had been reconstructed in wood using the original construction methods. The cost of 1 billion yen for the reconstruction was raised largely through public donation.
Japanese castle
' were fortresses composed primarily of wood and stone. They evolved from the wooden stockades of earlier centuries, and came into their best-known form in the 16th century...
. It was the seat of various fudai
Fudai
was a class of daimyo who were hereditary vassals of the Tokugawa in Edo period Japan. It was primarily the fudai who filled the ranks of the Tokugawa administration.-Origins:...
daimyō
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
who ruled over Kakegawa Domain
Kakegawa Domain
' was a Japanese feudal domain of the Edo period, located in Tōtōmi Province. Kakegawa was primarily a Fudai domain. It was centered at Kakegawa Castle in what is now Kakegawa, Shizuoka.-History:...
, Tōtōmi Province
Totomi Province
was a province of Japan in the area of Japan that is today western Shizuoka Prefecture. Tōtōmi bordered on Mikawa, Suruga and Shinano Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was .-History:...
, in what is now central Kakegawa
Kakegawa, Shizuoka
is a city in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 117,858 and a population density of 444 persons per km². The total area was 265.63 km².-Geography:...
, Shizuoka Prefecture
Shizuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
History
The first Kakegawa Castle was built by Asahina Yasuhiro in the Bunmei eraBunmei
was a after Ōnin and before Chōkyō. This period spanned the years from April 1469 through July 1487. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 1469 : The era name was changed to mark an event or a number of events...
(1469–1487), a retainer of the warlord Imagawa Yoshitada
Imagawa Yoshitada
Imagawa Yoshitada, the father of the famed Imagawa Ujichika and the 9th head of the Imagawa clan. Yoshitada spent most of his time invading the Tōtōmi Province, attacking the Katsumada and Yokota clans...
to consolidate his holdings over Tōtōmi Province
Totomi Province
was a province of Japan in the area of Japan that is today western Shizuoka Prefecture. Tōtōmi bordered on Mikawa, Suruga and Shinano Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was .-History:...
. The castle remained in the hands of the succeeding generations of the Asahina clan
Asahina clan
The was a Japanese clan during the Sengoku period who served the Imagawa clan of Suruga Province as retainer. Two genealogies of the clan were known. The one says that it had roots in Fujiwara clan. The other says that the clan was descended from Wada Yoshimori; his third son Yoshihide adopted the...
. After the defeat of the Imagawa clan at the Battle of Okehazama
Battle of Okehazama
The took place in June 1560. In this battle, Oda Nobunaga defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto and established himself as one of the front-running warlords in the Sengoku period.-Background:...
, the former Imagawa territories were divided between Takeda Shingen
Takeda Shingen
, of Kai Province, was a preeminent daimyo in feudal Japan with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period.-Name:Shingen was called "Tarō" or "Katsuchiyo" during his childhood...
of Kai
Kai Province
, also known as , is an old province in Japan in the area of Yamanashi Prefecture. It lies in central Honshū, west of Tokyo, in a landlocked mountainous region that includes Mount Fuji along its border with Shizuoka Prefecture....
and Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
of Mikawa
Mikawa Province
is an old province in the area that today forms the eastern half of Aichi Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Mikawa bordered on Owari, Mino, Shinano, and Tōtōmi Provinces....
. Kakegawa Castle was surrendered to Tokugawa forces in 1568 by Asahina Yasutomo without resistance. The surrounding area remained a territory contested between the Tokugawa and Takeda for many years; however, Kakegawa Castle remained in Tokugawa hands until the fall of the Takeda clan.
After the Battle of Odawara in 1590 and the rise to power of Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
, Tokugawa Ieyasu was forced to trade his domains in the Tōkai region
Tokai region
The is a sub-region of the Chūbu region in Japan that runs along the Pacific Ocean. The name means "East sea" and comes from the Tōkaidō, one of the Edo Five Routes...
for the Kantō region
Kanto region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
instead. Kakegawa was relinquished to Toyotomi retainer Yamauchi Kazutoyo
Yamauchi Kazutoyo
' also spelled Yamanouchi , was born the son of Yamanouchi Moritoyo in Owari Province at the end of the Sengoku period of Japan. Kazutoyo held the title of Tosa no kami....
as the center of a new 51,000 koku
Koku
The is a Japanese unit of volume, equal to ten cubic shaku. In this definition, 3.5937 koku equal one cubic metre, i.e. 1 koku is approximately 278.3 litres. The koku was originally defined as a quantity of rice, historically defined as enough rice to feed one person for one year...
(later 59,000 koku) domain. Yamauchi Kazutoyo completely rebuilt the castle per the latest contemporary designs, and the current layout and much of the stone walls and moats date from his period.
After the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
, the Tokugawa recovered their lost territories, and reassigned Tōtōmi to various fudai
Fudai
was a class of daimyo who were hereditary vassals of the Tokugawa in Edo period Japan. It was primarily the fudai who filled the ranks of the Tokugawa administration.-Origins:...
daimyō
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
. The Yamauchi clan was reassigned to Kōchi
Kochi, Kochi
is the capital city of Kōchi Prefecture on Shikoku island of Japan.Kōchi is the main city of the prefecture with over 40% of its population. As of May 31, 2008, the city had an estimated population of 340,515 and a density of...
in Shikoku
Shikoku
is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...
, and Kakegawa was assigned initially to Hisamatsu Sadakatsu. Over the years, numerous daimyō clans ruled Kakegawa Domain, ending with seven generations of the Ota clan
Ota clan
The was a Japanese samurai clan descended from the Seiwa Genji. The Ota are best known as daimyō of territories on Kyūshū during the Edo period ....
. The keep built by the Yamauchi was destroyed in an earthquake in 1604, and reconstructed in 1621.
The castle was kept in repair through the Bakumatsu period, however it suffered from extensive damage in 1854, due to the Ansei Tōkai Earthquake. Many structures were rebuilt by 1861, and were in use after the Meiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
as local government offices; however, the keep was not rebuilt after the earthquake.
Today
Kakegawa Castle remained in ruins through the Shōwa periodShowa period
The , or Shōwa era, is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of the Shōwa Emperor, Hirohito, from December 25, 1926 through January 7, 1989.The Shōwa period was longer than the reign of any previous Japanese emperor...
, with the exception of the (daimyō's mansion), built by Ota Sukekatsu
Ōta Sukekatsu
was the 6th daimyō of Kakegawa Domain in Tōtōmi Province, in late-Edo period Japan .-Biography:Ōta Sukekatsu was the eldest son of Ōta Sukemoto, the 5th daimyō of Kakegawa Domain. He became head of the Ōta clan and daimyō of Kakegawa on Sukemoto’s retirement on June 10, 1841...
after the earthquake, and registered with the government in 1980 as an Important Cultural Property
Important Cultural Properties of Japan
The term is often shortened into just are items officially already classified as Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs and judged to be of particular importance to the Japanese people....
. Other surviving portions of the castle included a portion of the moats and stone walls, and the drum house. A gate from the main bailey
Ward (fortification)
In fortifications, a bailey or ward refers to a courtyard enclosed by a curtain wall. In particular, an early type of European castle was known as a Motte-and-bailey. Castles can have more than one ward. Their layout depends both on the local topography and the level of fortification technology...
of the castle built in 1659 was given to the Buddhist temple of Yusan-ji in Fukuroi
Fukuroi, Shizuoka
is a city located in Shizuoka, Japan. As of February 2009, the city had an estimated population of 85,985 and a density of 792 persons per km². The total area is 108.56 km².-Geography:...
, where it now serves as the main gate of that temple. It is also a National ICP.
In April 1994, sections of the innermost bailey (honmaru), including some walls, a yagura
Yagura
Yagura is the Japanese word for "tower" or "turret." The word is most often seen in reference to structures within Japanese castle compounds, but can be used in a variety of other situations as well. The bandstand tower erected for Bon Festival is often called a yagura, as are similar structures...
, and the keep (tenshukaku), were reconstructed using the original methods. The tenshukakus reconstruction was done based on a few diagrams of the original tenshukaku that survived, and marked the first time in post-war Japan that a tenshukaku had been reconstructed in wood using the original construction methods. The cost of 1 billion yen for the reconstruction was raised largely through public donation.
External links
- http://www.jcastle.info/castle/profile/48-Kakegawa-Castle
- http://www.shizuoka-guide.com/english/search/sightseeing/detail.asp?id=260
- Japanese Castle Explorer - Kakegawa Castle
- Japan Visitor’s Guide