Gifu Castle
Gifu Castle | |
---|---|
岐阜城 | |
Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan | |
![]() Gifu Castle main keep | |
Coordinates | 35°26′02″N 136°46′56″E / 35.43389°N 136.78222°E |
Type | Mountaintop castle |
Site information | |
Condition | Reconstruction |
Site history | |
Built | 1201 |
Built by | Nikaidō clan |
In use | 12th–16th centuries |
Materials | unknown (original) reinforced concrete (current) |
Demolished | 1600 |
Garrison information | |
Past commanders | Oda Nobunaga |
Occupants | Saitō clan, Oda clan |
Gifu Castle (岐阜城, Gifu-jō) is a
Overview
Gifu Castle is located on Mount Kinkazan to the northeast of central Gifu, facing the Nagara River. Prior to a severe flood in 1586, the Kiso River ran through north of its current riverbed and was much closer to the castle, so Gifu Castle was protected by two large rivers. It also commanded the main route into Mino Province from then Tōkaidō highway which connected Kyoto with the eastern provinces of Japan.
History
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Gifujyou11.jpg/220px-Gifujyou11.jpg)
The first Gifu Castle was first built by the Nikaidō clan between 1201 and 1204 during the Kamakura period.[2][3] Originally little more than a small fort, it was reconstructed on a much larger scale in the Muromachi period by Saitō Toshinaga (d.1460). Toshinaga had served the title of shugo of Mino Province, but due to internal conflicts, the Saitō clan had been supplanted in turn by the Toki clan. The clan's fortunes were restored in the form of an adventurer from Kyoto who assumed the name of Saitō Dōsan. Also known as the "Viper of Mino", Saitō Dōsan ruthlessly overcame his enemies, expelled the Toki clan, and defeated an invasion from neighboring Owari Province led by Oda Nobuhide. Saitō Dōsan was killed in a revolt by his own son, Saitō Yoshitatsu. Although Yoshiyasu showed promise as a ruler, he died at the age of 34, leaving Inabayama Castle to his son Saitō Tatsuoki.
During the
In 1567, Oda Nobunaga launched an attack on Mino Province from Sunomata Castle, led his forces across the Kiso River, and marched straight to the castle town of Inoguchi (now Gifu city) attracting the support of many former Saitō retainers along the way. Nobunaga laid siege to Inabayama Castle on 13 September. Even though the defenders were demoralized to see the banners of Saitō retainers among the attacking army, the mountaintop castle was still in a nearly impregnable position. The siege took about two weeks. Near the end of the siege, Nobunaga's retainer Kinoshita Tōkichirō led a small party up the steep cliffs, entered the castle from the unguarded rear, and opened the front gates, allowing the attacking forces to enter. After Tatsuoki fled, Nobunaga made the castle his primary base-of-operations.[4]
Nobunaga renamed the stronghold "Gifu Castle,"
The subsequent
With the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate, Gifu Castle was awarded to Ieyasu's son-in-law, Okudaira Nobumasa. However, due to its poor state of repair, Nobumasa decided to abolish Gifu Castle and to relocate to at the base of the mountain, and built Kanō Castle in 1603. Some of the structures of Gifu Castle, such as its largest three-storey yagura were dismantled and re-erected at the new location.[2]
The main keep was rebuilt in the 1910s with wooden building material repurposed from the old bridge across the Nagara river. The keep burnt down in an accident in 1943. The current version of the main keep of Gifu Castle is a concrete and steel structure that was built in the 1950s based on original drawings and plans, albeit with some changes.
Present day
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ec/Gifu_castle_in_sea_clouds.jpg/220px-Gifu_castle_in_sea_clouds.jpg)
Inside the reconstructed keep is a museum with three floors containing exhibits representing the castle's past.
Gifu Castle Archives Museum
When visitors pay the entrance fee to Gifu Castle, they also receive entrance to the Gifu Castle Archives Museum, located approximately 70 m (230 ft) from the entrance to Gifu Castle. Inside the museum, visitors will find more archives related to Gifu Castle and its past residents. The second floor focuses on musical instruments from Japan's past and present. Additionally, there are pictures of castles throughout Japan adorning the walls of the museum.
Castle operating hours
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Gifucastleview.jpg/220px-Gifucastleview.jpg)
- Normal hours
- March 16–May 11: 9:30 to 17:30
- May 12–October 16: 8:30 to 17:30
- October 17–March 15: 9:30 to 16:30
- Night viewing
- April 28–May 6: until 21:30
- July 14–August 31: until 22:00
- September 1–October 14: until 21:30 (Saturday, Sunday, and holidays only)
- October 15–November 30: until 18:30
Access
Mount Kinkazan offers hiking trails of varying difficulty to Gifu Castle and take approximately one hour.
To get to Gifu Park, you can board buses operated by
See also
References
- ^ "岐阜城跡" (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs.
- ^ a b Gifu Castle Official Page Archived 2008-04-08 at the Wayback Machine. (in Japanese) Gifu City Hall. Accessed January 11, 2008.
- ^ a b c d Gifu Castle. Japan National Tourist Organization. Accessed May 7, 2008.
- ISBN 0804705259.
- ^ Gifu City Walking Map. Gifu Lively City Public Corporation, 2007.
- ^ Outline of Gifu City 2005. Gifu City Hall, April 2005.
- ^ Mt. Kinka Hiking Trails Archived 2007-06-23 at the Wayback Machine. (in Japanese) Gifu City Hall. Accessed June 12, 2007.
- ^ Mt. Kinka Ropeway Homepage. (in Japanese) Kinkazan Co. Access June 12, 2007
- ^ Gifu Bus (Noriai Jigyō-bu) Archived 2008-09-14 at the Wayback Machine. (in Japanese) Gifu Bus Co., Ltd. Accessed May 7, 2008.
Literature
- Benesch, Oleg and Ran Zwigenberg (2019). Japan's Castles: Citadels of Modernity in War and Peace. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 374. ISBN 9781108481946.
- De Lange, William (2021). An Encyclopedia of Japanese Castles. Groningen: Toyo Press. pp. 600 pages. ISBN 978-9492722300.
- Schmorleitz, Morton S. (1974). Castles in Japan. Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle Co. p. 117. ISBN 0-8048-1102-4.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)