- Type
- Ruin
- Origins
- 1185 · 12th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Location
- Gifu Prefecture, Japan
- Coordinates
- 35.3603°, 137.4513°
History
Tradition holds that the castle was founded in 1185 by Katō Kagekado, a vassal of Minamoto no Yoritomo, and his descendants of the Tōyama clan ruled the area for centuries. In 1572 Takeda forces under Akiyama Nobutomo laid siege to it. The lord's widow, an aunt of Oda Nobunaga known as Otsuya, surrendered the fortress and married Akiyama. In 1575 Nobunaga retook the castle and had them both executed. In the Edo period Iwamura was the seat of a small domain, and in 1873, after the Meiji Restoration, its buildings were pulled down.
What to see
On the mountaintop, at about 717 metres, impressive stone walls survive, including the celebrated six-tiered terraced walls. A wooded path climbs to them from the foot of the mountain, where the gate and drum tower of the lord's former residence have been rebuilt and a history museum stands nearby. Below lies the town of Iwamura with its historic merchant houses.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q1196356
Popularity: articles about this site in 15 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).