- Type
- Castle
- Origins
- 1602 · 17th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Location
- Ehime Prefecture, Japan
- Commissioned by
- Katō Yoshiaki
- Visiting
- probably – Wikidata lists it as a museum or gives tickets, opening hours or visitor numbers; check before you go
- Coordinates
- 33.8455°, 132.7657°
History
Katō Yoshiaki, one of the commanders who fought for the Tokugawa at Sekigahara, began building the castle on Katsuyama hill in 1602. The work took a quarter of a century and was only finished after Yoshiaki was transferred to Aizu and Gamō Tadatomo took over. From 1635 until the end of the Edo period a branch of the Matsudaira family ruled here, and records say they reduced the original five-storey keep to three storeys. In 1784 lightning set the keep on fire, and its rebuilding was not completed until 1854. Some buildings burned in the 20th century and were reconstructed in timber, but the main keep survived and is one of the twelve Japanese castles with an original keep.
What to see
The hilltop, about 130 metres above sea level, can be reached by ropeway, chairlift or on foot. The keep, linked to smaller turrets and gates, forms a compact complex on several levels, and its rooms display armour, swords and documents of the Matsudaira family. The summit looks out over all of Matsuyama, the Inland Sea and the mountains of Shikoku, and in spring cherry blossom covers the slopes.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q981357
Popularity: articles about this site in 20 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).