- Type
- Castle
- Origins
- 1535 · 16th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Location
- Gifu Prefecture, Japan
- Visiting
- probably – Wikidata lists it as a museum or gives tickets, opening hours or visitor numbers; check before you go
- Coordinates
- 35.3619°, 136.6161°
History
Tradition dates the founding of the lowland castle among the rivers of Ōgaki to 1535, and over the following decades it passed through the hands of various vassals of the Oda and Toyotomi, who raised a four-storey keep. In the autumn of 1600 Ishida Mitsunari made Ōgaki the headquarters of the Western Army before the Battle of Sekigahara, and after his defeat Tokugawa forces took the castle. In 1635 it went to Toda Ujikane, whose family ruled the Ōgaki domain until the Meiji era. The keep survived the dismantling of castles and was named a National Treasure in 1936, but it burned in an American air raid in July 1945. It was rebuilt in reinforced concrete in 1959.
What to see
The white keep, with four storeys – rare in Japan, where four is an unlucky number – stands in a park in the city centre beside a reconstructed corner turret. Inside is a museum of armour, swords and mementoes of Sekigahara, and the top floor looks out over the city and the mountains. The park has a statue of Toda Ujikane, and fossils from the local limestone can be spotted in the stone walls.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q1067359
Popularity: articles about this site in 11 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).