Jcastle.info

Guide to Japanese Castles

Azuchi Castle

安土城

Ote entrance
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Founder Oda Nobunaga
Year 1576
Type Hilltop
Condition Ruins
Admin's Rating ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Historical Site Special Historic Site
Historical Value Top 100 Castles
Location Azuchi, Shiga Pref.
Map Google Map
Access Azuchi Station (JR Tokaido Line)
Website Azuchi Town
Visited February 21, 2004
Notes There are no buildings left but the amount of stonework and the preserved layout is incredible. It has a very historic feel and expands your imagination.
History By 1575 Nobunaga had become the most powerful samurai in the country. He turned over control of the Owari & Mino provinces to his eldest son Nobutada and set his own eyes on the unification of all Japan. In 1576, Nobunaga established his new castle and power base at Azuchi on Lake Biwa. This was a very strategic location in that it gave him significant control over the nearby Tokaida and Nakasendo roads to Kyoto and any traffic on Lake Biwa.

It took 3.5 years to complete the donjon and entire castle. Unfortunately, the castle was short lived. After Nobunaga was killed by Akechi Mitsuhide in 1582 at Honnoji Temple, Azuchi Castle was burned to the ground in a battle between Nobunaga's second son Nobukatsu and Akechi's men who had taken over the castle.

The construction of Azuchi Castle was a revolution in castle design and marked the turning point in a new type of castle. Until this time, most were smaller mountaintop structures that were only used as a lookout or as needed. Nobunaga's Azuchi castle led the way for the larger and more grand structures of the late Sengoku Period and Early Edo Period turning castles in to quarters for the daimyo and some retainers.

The main donjon itself was 7 stories high and thought to have been the largest multi-storied wooden building in the world at that time. The fifth floor of the main keep was an octagon representing heaven and the quadrangular sixth floor represented the thoughts of Taoism and Confucianism.

The picture above is of the Ote-michi entrance through to the castle. Along either side were houses of loyal retainers.

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Viewer Comments

(10) | Post Comment
  • John    June 21, 2010 at 06:22 AM
    Hmm... octagonal 6th floor on the donjon, you say. Must have been an unsuccessful expirement as it was never repeated.
  • Admin    March 25, 2010 at 01:52 PM
    No, I really need to. it's on my to-do list. Maybe when the new video rental store opens up down my street...
  • Arip    March 22, 2010 at 12:15 PM
    Have you watched the Katen No Shiro Movie? It's the story of Azuchi Castle construction process.. You can download it at http://aezone.net
  • Anonymous    March 09, 2009 at 08:18 AM
    Lisa,I don't know where you are now. I went to and stayed at Hkone with my wife on Feb 15. The hotel we stayed was faced to the castle moat. The staffs are kind. You can visit Azuchi ruins within 30 minutes by local train. Have a nice tour! Kai,Kitakyushu-city
  • Anonymous    January 27, 2009 at 04:26 AM
    This castle is very interesting
  • webmaster    November 23, 2008 at 11:51 AM
    Agreed. Look for hotels in Hikone. There should be several hotels with English websites and it's just a couple stops away by train. You can visit Hikone Castle too and there is a variety of things to do in Hikone too.
  • Raymond    November 22, 2008 at 08:18 AM
    Lisa, I am not the guy who runs this wonderful website, but I live in Shiga and have been to Azuchi Castle Ruins a couple of times. There isn't much around JR Azuchi Station. Your best bet for finding a hotel would be in Kusatsu, Hikone, or perhaps Omi-hachiman, one station from Azuchi. The first two places, which are also on the same JR line, are around 15 to 20 minutes from Azuchi. Why not stay in Hikone City and visit both Hikone Castle (an original castle) and Azuchi Castle Ruins? My two yens' worth.
  • Lisa    November 22, 2008 at 04:46 AM
    I don't know if anyone is still updating this site but if so i need to know what hotels are nearby to this castle. My research brings up sites that i can't read and the information is required for a class project. Any help?
  • austin Lewis    October 14, 2008 at 10:41 PM
    whoa!!!! really!!!! dude i'm REALLY jelous he's my heroe
  • Tommy Jackson    June 18, 2008 at 12:08 PM
    i have yet to go here , i really want to though. Oda Nobunaga was my ancestor on my grandma's dad's side of the family