Hitoyoshi Castle

Hitoyoshi is a 12th-century castle, now ruins, located in Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto Prefecture. It is recognized as one of Japan's top 100 castles.[1]

Satellite image of Hitoyoshi Castle
Hitoyoshi Castle

History

There was an original castle built on the site by Sagara Nagayori, in the late 1200s.[2] After this, the clan used the castle as their home, up until the early 1400s. Sometime before 1470, another castle was built on the location.[3] The Sagara clan pushed out to extend their power around the Kuma area, however they were defeated by the Shimazu clan at the Battle of Minamata in the year 1581. As a result, they lost much area under their control.[4][5] Sagara Nagatsune carried out more extensive development of the castle in the year 1589. The Kumagawa River is used by the castle as both an outer defensive moat, and for trade via water transport. The castle buildings were demolished, like many castle buildings in Japan, in the Meiji era, leaving only the stone walls and earthen ramparts.

Current site

Little of the castle remains today on site. The stone walls remain extant, with both a recently added yagura and gate.[6]

Literature
  • De Lange, William (2021). An Encyclopedia of Japanese Castles. Groningen: Toyo Press. pp. 600 pages. ISBN 978-9492722300.

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hitoyoshi Castle.
  1. "Official Kumamoto Tourism Guide".
  2. "Hitoyoshi Castle" jcastle.info http://jcastle.info/castle/profile/232-Hitoyoshi-Castle
  3. "Hitoyoshi Castle Profile". Archived from the original on 2016-12-28. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
  4. "Hitoyoshi Castle - Walking the Japanese Castles".
  5. "Hitoyoshi Castle Profile". Archived from the original on 2016-12-28. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
  6. "Hitoyoshi Castle Profile". Archived from the original on 2016-12-28. Retrieved 2016-05-20.

32°12′39.9″N 130°45′59.37″E


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