Toyoda Castle
History
Founded by Toyoda Yoshimoto in 1346 as his fortified residence, this castle is said to have possessed a real tenshu in the Sengoku period, albeit much smaller but, interestingly, with a thatched roof (just my opinion, but I'd rather see that rebuilt). The faux reconstructed tenshu dates to 1989 and is not intended to be remotely historically accurate.
In the Sengoku period Toyoda Masachika took over as castellan and allied his clan with the Oda Clan ((小田氏) of Kantou, based at Oda Castle). In 1558 Toyoda Haruchika took over and allied with Ishige Masashige of nearby Ishige Castle in their ongoing war with the Tagaya Clan based at Shimotsuna Castle. In 1578 the Tagaya were able to have Haruchika assassinated with poisoning, and without his leadership the clan was defeated. The Tagaya Clan then took over Toyoda Castle. Toyoda Castle was abandoned in 1601.
Visit Notes
Note that the actual site of Toyota Castle was about 1.5km to the southeast (36.105987, 139.998726). The faux tenshu is actually the Jōsō Municipal Local Cultural Exchange Center, opened in 1992. Construction started in 1989. The large tower is surrounded by many smaller mock yagura which look like they're actual purpose is to be used as garages. There is a marker for the castle found at the actual site near the Kokai River. I (ART) visited in 2017.
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Toyoda Castle |
| Japanese Name | 豊田城 |
| Alternate Names | 石毛城・石下城・常総市地域交流センター |
| Founder | Toyoda Yoshimoto |
| Year Founded | 1346 |
| Castle Type | Flatland |
| Castle Condition | Reconstructed main keep |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Main Keep Structure | 5 tiers, 8 storeys (inc. basement) |
| Year Reconstructed | 1989 |
| Artifacts | Dorui, Mogi Tenshu, Mogi Yagura, Mogi Ishigaki |
| Features | main keep, stone walls |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Ishige Station on the Kantou Railway Jousou Line; 10 minute walk |
| Visitor Information | Mogi Tenshu is open 9am-4:30pm |
| Time Required | 40 minutes |
| Website | http://umoretakojo.jp/Shiro/Kantou/Ibaraki/Toyoda/index.htm |
| Location | Jousou, Ibaraki Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 36° 6' 47.84" N, 139° 58' 47.32" E |
|
|
|
| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2021 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
Enable comment auto-refresher