- Type
- Castle
- Location
- Tochigi Prefecture, Japan
- Coordinates
- 36.5544°, 139.8858°
History
Tradition holds that the castle was founded in the 11th century by an ancestor of the Utsunomiya clan, which ruled the area for nearly five hundred years until Toyotomi Hideyoshi stripped it of its lands in 1597. In the Edo period the castle was the seat of a series of daimyō and a stopping place for shoguns on pilgrimage to the Tōshō-gū mausoleum at Nikkō. From 1619 its lord Honda Masazumi enlarged it thoroughly, surrounding the baileys with moats and high earthen ramparts. In 1868, during the Boshin War, fierce fighting broke out for the castle between supporters of the shogunate and the imperial army, and it burned down. Part of the main bailey with two turrets was reconstructed in 2007 as a park.
What to see
The park in the city centre recreates part of the main bailey: tall earthen ramparts with a moat and two timber turrets, the Fujimi-yagura and Seimei-dai-yagura, linked by a plastered wall. The ramparts overlook the city centre, and the name Fujimi refers to the view of Mount Fuji, visible on clear days. A pavilion by the park shows a model of the old castle and tells its story, while modern office blocks in the background show how the castle has merged into the city.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q8010544
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