, also known as , is a castle

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...

 located in Ōzu

Ozu, Ehime

is a city located in Ehime, Japan.On January 11, 2005 Ōzu absorbed the towns of Hijikawa and Nagahama, and the village of Kawabe, all from Kita District, to form the new and expanded city of Ōzu....

, Ehime Prefecture

Ehime Prefecture

is a prefecture in northwestern Shikoku, Japan. The capital is Matsuyama.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, Ehime prefecture was known as Iyo Province...

, 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 was originally constructed in 1331 by Utsunomiya Toyofusa. In 1888 the of the castle was destroyed, but it was re-constructed in 2004.

History

Ōzu Castle was constructed in 1331 by Utsunomiya Toyofusa. However, the structure that stands now was built sometime between 1585–1617. During this period, the castle was controlled by a number of lords, including Wakisaka Yasuharu

Wakisaka Yasuharu

' , sometimes referred to as Wakizaka Yasuharu, was a daimyo of Awaji Island who fought under a number of warlords over the course of Japan's Sengoku period....

, Kobayakawa Takakage

Kobayakawa Takakage

was a samurai retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi during Japan's Sengoku period, and the son of Mōri Motonari. Adopted by the head of the Kobayakawa clan, Takakage took his name, and succeeded his adoptive father to become head of the Kobayakawa clan following his death in 1545.As head of the Kobayakawa...

, Tōdō Takatora

Todo Takatora

was a Japanese daimyo of the Azuchi-Momoyama period through Edo period. He rose from relatively humble origins as an ashigaru to become a daimyo...

, and Toda Katsutaka. In 1617, the castle was occupied by Katō Sadayasu and, until the Meiji Restoration

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 castle remained under control of the Katō clan. In 1888 the keep was destroyed by a fire, though the two 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...

, or towers, that were connected by corridors to the keep were saved. What remained of the castle survived World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, even though the surrounding castle town was firebombed. In 2004 the keep was re-constructed, along with the corridors that connected the keep to the yagura. A small museum about the history of the castle is housed in the keep and yagura.

External links

• Guide to Japanese Castles: Ōzu Castle