Hamamatsu Castle
Encyclopedia
is a reconstructed hirayama-style Japanese castle
. It was the seat of various fudai
daimyō
who ruled over Hamamatsu Domain
, Tōtōmi Province
, in what is now central Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture
, Japan
. It is also called
from around 1504-1520. The early castle was called and was entrusted to Imagawa retainer Iio Noritsura
. After the fall of the Imagawa Yoshimoto
at the Battle of Okehazama
, Iio Tsuratatsu
rebelled against Imagawa Ujinao, but was defeated. However, the greatly weakened Imagawa clan was unable to withstand the combined forces for Tokugawa Ieyasu
from Mikawa
and Takeda Shingen
from Kai
. The former Imagawa territories in Tōtōmi were divided between the Tokugawa and Takeda in 1568, with Tokugawa Ieyasu obtaining Hamamatsu. He relocated his headquarters from Okazaki Castle
to Hamamatsu in 1570, and spent the following 17 years there.
Tokugawa Ieyasu renovated and greatly expanded the castle, which he renamed Hamamatsu Castle in 1577. He relocated to Sunpu Castle
in 1586, entrusting Hamamatsu Castle to Horio Yoshiharu
, who was followed by his son Horio Tadauji
. After the Battle of Sekigahara
, Hamamatsu was briefly ruled by Tokugawa Yorinobu
, followed by a succession of fudai
daimyō through the remainder of the Edo period
. Contemporary records indicate that the castle was never built with a tenshukaku-style keep. Throughout its history, a two-story yagura
located within the second bailey
served as a substitute keep.
With the Meiji Restoration
, the remaining military structures of the castle were destroyed, outer moats filled in, and outer baileys sold off. The central portion of the castle remained owned by the city as a park. In 1958, a faux donjon was constructed out of reinforced concrete on top of the original stone palisade built by Tokugawa Ieyasu. This palisade is known as the "Norzura-zumi", referring to the method used to fit the stones together. The reconstructed structure has three stories with an observatory affording a view of the Pacific Ocean
at the topmost level. There is a small museum inside which houses armor and other relics of Tokugawa clan, as well as a miniature model of how the city might have looked at the start of the Edo period. Surrounding the museum is Hamamatsu Castle Park which is planted with numerous sakura
trees. A large bronze statue of Tokugawa Ieyasu also stands in the park.
Japanese castle
' were fortresses composed primarily of wood and stone. They evolved from the wooden stockades of earlier centuries, and came into their best-known form in the 16th century...
. It was the seat of various fudai
Fudai
was a class of daimyo who were hereditary vassals of the Tokugawa in Edo period Japan. It was primarily the fudai who filled the ranks of the Tokugawa administration.-Origins:...
daimyō
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
who ruled over Hamamatsu Domain
Hamamatsu Domain
was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in Tōtōmi Province. It was centered on what is now Hamamatsu Castle in what is now the city of Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture....
, Tōtōmi Province
Totomi Province
was a province of Japan in the area of Japan that is today western Shizuoka Prefecture. Tōtōmi bordered on Mikawa, Suruga and Shinano Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was .-History:...
, in what is now central Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture
Shizuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It is also called
History
The origins of Hamamatsu castle is unclear; however, it appears that a fortification was built on this site by Imagawa Sadatsuke, the 4th head of the Enshū Imagawa clanImagawa clan
The was a Japanese clan that claimed descent from Emperor Seiwa . It was a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Ashikaga clan.-Origins:Ashikaga Kuniuji, grandson of Ashikaga Yoshiuji, established himself in the 13th century at Imagawa and took its name.Imagawa Norikuni received from his cousin the...
from around 1504-1520. The early castle was called and was entrusted to Imagawa retainer Iio Noritsura
Iio Noritsura
was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period, who served the Imagawa clan of Suruga. He was the lord of Hikuma Castle, and claimed the court title Buzen no kami. Noritsura's service to the Imagawa clan was during the life of Imagawa Yoshimoto. During the Eishō era , Noritsura built Hikuma Castle,...
. After the fall of the Imagawa Yoshimoto
Imagawa Yoshimoto
was one of the leading daimyo in the Sengoku period Japan. Based in Suruga Province, he was one of the three daimyo that dominated the Tōkaidō region. He was one of the dominant daimyo in Japan for a time, until his death in 1560....
at the Battle of Okehazama
Battle of Okehazama
The took place in June 1560. In this battle, Oda Nobunaga defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto and established himself as one of the front-running warlords in the Sengoku period.-Background:...
, Iio Tsuratatsu
Iio Tsuratatsu
was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period who served the Imagawa clan....
rebelled against Imagawa Ujinao, but was defeated. However, the greatly weakened Imagawa clan was unable to withstand the combined forces for Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
from Mikawa
Mikawa Province
is an old province in the area that today forms the eastern half of Aichi Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Mikawa bordered on Owari, Mino, Shinano, and Tōtōmi Provinces....
and Takeda Shingen
Takeda Shingen
, of Kai Province, was a preeminent daimyo in feudal Japan with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period.-Name:Shingen was called "Tarō" or "Katsuchiyo" during his childhood...
from Kai
Kai Province
, also known as , is an old province in Japan in the area of Yamanashi Prefecture. It lies in central Honshū, west of Tokyo, in a landlocked mountainous region that includes Mount Fuji along its border with Shizuoka Prefecture....
. The former Imagawa territories in Tōtōmi were divided between the Tokugawa and Takeda in 1568, with Tokugawa Ieyasu obtaining Hamamatsu. He relocated his headquarters from Okazaki Castle
Okazaki Castle
is a Japanese castle located in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. At the end of the Edo period, Okazaki Castle was home to the Honda clan, daimyō of Okazaki Domain, but the castle is better known for its association with Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Tokugawa clan...
to Hamamatsu in 1570, and spent the following 17 years there.
Tokugawa Ieyasu renovated and greatly expanded the castle, which he renamed Hamamatsu Castle in 1577. He relocated to Sunpu Castle
Sunpu Castle
was a Japanese castle in Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan. The sobriquet of this feudal fortress was the "Castle of the Floating Isle." It was also referred to as or .-History:...
in 1586, entrusting Hamamatsu Castle to Horio Yoshiharu
Horio Yoshiharu
Horio Yoshiharu was a daimyo in Azuchi-Momoyama period and Edo period.He was appointed to one of three chu-rō by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the first leader of the Matsue clan.He was also known as Horio Mosuke ....
, who was followed by his son Horio Tadauji
Horio Tadauji
Horio Tadauji was a tozama daimyō in the Azuchi-Momoyama period and Edo period.His father was Horio Yoshiharu....
. After the Battle of Sekigahara
Battle of Sekigahara
The , popularly known as the , was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 which cleared the path to the Shogunate for Tokugawa Ieyasu...
, Hamamatsu was briefly ruled by Tokugawa Yorinobu
Tokugawa Yorinobu
was a Japanese daimyo of the early Edo period.Born under the name Nagafukumaru, he was the 10th son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, by his concubine Oman-no-kata. On December 8, 1603, Yorinobu received the fief of Mito, then rated at 200,000 koku, as his fief. Mito had formerly belonged to his older brother,...
, followed by a succession of fudai
Fudai
was a class of daimyo who were hereditary vassals of the Tokugawa in Edo period Japan. It was primarily the fudai who filled the ranks of the Tokugawa administration.-Origins:...
daimyō through the remainder of the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
. Contemporary records indicate that the castle was never built with a tenshukaku-style keep. Throughout its history, a two-story yagura
Yagura
Yagura is the Japanese word for "tower" or "turret." The word is most often seen in reference to structures within Japanese castle compounds, but can be used in a variety of other situations as well. The bandstand tower erected for Bon Festival is often called a yagura, as are similar structures...
located within the second bailey
Ward (fortification)
In fortifications, a bailey or ward refers to a courtyard enclosed by a curtain wall. In particular, an early type of European castle was known as a Motte-and-bailey. Castles can have more than one ward. Their layout depends both on the local topography and the level of fortification technology...
served as a substitute keep.
Meiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
, the remaining military structures of the castle were destroyed, outer moats filled in, and outer baileys sold off. The central portion of the castle remained owned by the city as a park. In 1958, a faux donjon was constructed out of reinforced concrete on top of the original stone palisade built by Tokugawa Ieyasu. This palisade is known as the "Norzura-zumi", referring to the method used to fit the stones together. The reconstructed structure has three stories with an observatory affording a view of the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
at the topmost level. There is a small museum inside which houses armor and other relics of Tokugawa clan, as well as a miniature model of how the city might have looked at the start of the Edo period. Surrounding the museum is Hamamatsu Castle Park which is planted with numerous sakura
Sakura
A cherry blossom is the flower of any of several trees of genus Prunus, particularly the Japanese Cherry, Prunus serrulata, which is sometimes called sakura after the Japanese . Many of the varieties that have been cultivated for ornamental use do not produce fruit...
trees. A large bronze statue of Tokugawa Ieyasu also stands in the park.