Nihonmatsu Castle
Nihonmatsu Castle 二本松城 | |
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Nihonmatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan | |
Coordinates | 37°35′59″N 140°25′41″E / 37.599642°N 140.427986°E |
Type | hilltop-style Japanese castle |
Site information | |
Open to the public | yes |
Condition | partially reconstructed 1982 |
Site history | |
Built | 1341, rebuilt 1643 |
In use | Edo period |
Demolished | 1872 |
Nihonmatsu Castle (二本松城, Nihonmatsu-jō) is a
Situation
Nihonmatsu Castle is located on a spur of the
History
Muromachi and Sengoku periods
A fortification was erected on the site of Nihonmatsu Castle during the Muromachi period. In 1341, Hatakeyama Takakuni, who was appointed Ōshū tandai by Ashikaga shogunate, established a fortified residence at this location, and changed his name to "Nihonmatsu". However, despite his title, he was relatively powerless against the local Date clan and Ashina clan, whose territories surrounded his domain. Nihonmatsu Mitsuyasu rebuilt Nihonmatsu Castle in the early 15th century.
In 1568, Nihonmatsu Yoshitsugu was attacked by Date Terumune, the father of the famous Date Masamune. Outnumbered and defeated, he pretended to surrender, but in 1585 instead took Terumune hostage. Masamune’s forces counterattacked, and in the ensuring battle both Nihonmatsu Yoshitsugu and Date Terumune were killed.
The Date clan then fought the
Edo period
Under the Tokugawa shogunate, the castle was briefly assigned to the Matsushita clan, a branch of the Gamō clan until 1627. The territory was then assigned to
During the
Modern era
As with many Japanese castles, in 1872, subsequent to the Meiji restoration the remaining castle structures were destroyed and the site was transformed into a park. The site, called Kasumigajō Park (霞ヶ城公園, Kasumigajō-kōen) became famous for its
In 1982, the Minowa gate and an attached yagura turret were reconstructed, and stone walls were repaired. The foundation stone base of the main tenshu was restored in 1993. The area was granted government protection as a National Historic Site in 2007.[1]
See also
Literature
- Schmorleitz, Morton S. (1974). Castles in Japan. Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle Co. pp. 144–145. ISBN 0-8048-1102-4.
- De Lange, William (2021). An Encyclopedia of Japanese Castles. Groningen: Toyo Press. p. 600. ISBN 978-9492722300.
- Motoo, Hinago (1986). Japanese Castles. Tokyo: Kodansha. p. 200 pages. ISBN 0-87011-766-1.
- Mitchelhill, Jennifer (2004). Castles of the Samurai: Power and Beauty. Tokyo: Kodansha. p. 112 pages. ISBN 4-7700-2954-3.
- Turnbull, Stephen (2003). Japanese Castles 1540-1640. Osprey Publishing. p. 64 pages. ISBN 1-84176-429-9.
References
- ^ The ruins of Nihonmatsu Castle Agency for Cultural Affairs (in Japanese)