| Founder | Gamo Ujisato |  |
| Year | 1591 | |
| Type | Hilltop | |
| Condition | Reconstructed | |
| Alternate Name | Masuoka-jo | |
| Reconstructed | 1995 (wood) | |
| Structure | 3 levels, 3 stories | |
| Admin's Rating | ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ | |
| Location | Shiroishi, Miyagi Prefecture | |
| Map | Google Map | |
| Access | Shiroishi Station (Tohoku Honsen), 10 minute walk | |
| Website | Shiroishi City | |
| Visited | October 1997 | |
| Notes | A nice little castle that sits a nice walk from the station. During the fall the autumn colors were nice around the Shiroishi area. | |
| History |
The area of Shiroishi was under the control of Date Masamune until 1591. In that year it was seized by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and bestowed upon Gamo Ujisato along with Tsuruga-jo (Wakamatsu). Gamo then constructed this castle at Shiroishi under control from Wakamatsu. Soon after the battle of Sekigahara (1600) Date Masamunue re-invaded this area and stationed his relative Katakura Kojuro at Shiroishi-jo. After the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate, they created a law which allowed for only one castle in each province. The area of Shiroishi was techinically in the province controlled from Sendai which already had a castle. The Katakura family, however, received special permission to retain their castle at Shiroishi and the descendents of Katakura Kojuro controlled Shiroishi-jo until the Meiji Restoration. It was eventually torn down during the second year of Meiji (1867). |
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2 Viewer Comments
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Frank T.
on
My Page
October 03, 2011 at 10:57 PM
Wood, stones, plaster, and tiles; it's about time somebody got it right. This is a small site, but the reconstruction was done the way it should be. It's so good to see reconstructions these days following this pattern. There weren't too many visitors when I was there, and that may be business as usual. The watchman inside seemed like he hadn't spoken to another human being in quite a while and pretty much insisted I try on the fake armor and gear for a photo. Outside the keep the local high school brass band members were practicing. Little things like this that happen by chance always make a castle visit stand out.
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alicemacgee
on
My Page
November 07, 2010 at 05:49 PM
Went there on the same day as local students went for some kind of archery contest, so at first I thought they were shooting a movie. But as I got to know, there are many similar events held here, and the castle seems to be the center of the city life until now. Also, I don't know how about the castles that I haven't been to yet, but in Shiroishi visitors can experience what it was like to wear samurai armor, because they offer armors to try on.
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