- Kofu DomainIt was also under the direct control of the shogunate.
- The Kofu area was a key transportation point controlled by the Takeda clan until the middle of the Sengoku period. After the Takeda clan was defeated by the Oda clan, and Oda Nobunaga was killed in the Honnoji Incident, the ownership of the Kofu area was fought over by the Later Hojo, Tokugawa, and Uesugi clans, and the area was divided into two parts.
Kofu CastleKofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture
| Other name | Maizuru Castle |
|---|---|
| castle construction | 1583 |
| address | 1-5-4 Marunouchi, Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture |
Kofu Castle is one of Japan's 100 famous castles. Currently, it is open as Maizuru Castle Park.
- Access to Kofu Castle
- About 5 minutes walk from the south exit of Kofu Station on the JR Chuo Line.
HISTORYKofu Castle was built after the fall of the Takeda clan.
Kofu Castle was a flat castle located in Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture. Kofu was the territory of the Takeda clan of Kai until it was destroyed by Oda Nobunaga. Takeda Harunobu (Shingen), who rapidly expanded the Takeda clan's territory, used Tsutsujigasaki Mansion, which included the fortress mountain castle, as his base, and did not build a castle himself. Kofu Castle was built by order of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and even under the Tokugawa administration, it became a key point for the shogunate as a base for monitoring outside daimyo in the west. Let's unravel the history of Kofu Castle.
- Kofu, ruled by the Takeda clan
- Before the Edo period, the Takeda clan of Kai was widely known as the ruler of Kofu. During the time of Takeda Harunobu, also known as Takeda Shingen, and his father, Takeda Shintora, the Takeda clan unified Kofu and greatly expanded their territory. The Takeda clan's castle was Tsutsujigasaki-kan, which included the fortress of Yogayama Castle, and the castle town of Kofu was built around the castle.
Unlike other Sengoku daimyo, Takeda Harunobu did not build his own mountain castles; instead, he used castles built by other daimyo that he had seized in battle and remodeled to his own liking.
There is a famous anecdote in which Shingen said, "People are castles, people are stone walls, people are moats. Compassion is an ally, enemies are enemies," and in relation to this, some people say that "Takeda Shingen did not build castles." However, there are records that Takeda Harunobu built several "medieval castles" that did not have stone walls. The "modern castles" that we imagine when we hear the word "castle" began with Azuchi Castle, built by Oda Nobunaga. During the time when Takeda Harunobu reigned as the ruler of Kai, the standard for castles was medieval castles that did not have stone walls. This is why it is thought that the opinion arose that Takeda Harunobu valued people and did not build castles.
In addition, Takeda Katsuyori, the eldest son of Takeda Harunobu, was planning to build a new modern castle, "Shinpu Castle" in Nirasaki. However, he was defeated by Oda Nobunaga in the Battle of Nagashino, and the Oda forces even invaded Kai. Katsuyori set fire to the castle under construction, leaving it abandoned, and the Takeda clan was eventually destroyed by the Oda clan. - The construction of Kofu Castle and the Edo period
- After the Takeda clan was destroyed, the land of Kofu was given to Kawajiri Hidetaka, a retainer of the Oda clan. However, when Oda Nobunaga was defeated along with his eldest son Oda Nobutada in the Honnoji Incident, the Tensho Jingo War broke out, in which the Later Hojo, Tokugawa, Uesugi, and local lords including the Sanada clan, who had territories around Kofu, fought over the land. The rebellion was eventually put to an end with a peace agreement between the Tokugawa and Hojo clans, but it was an opportunity to weaken the Hojo clan. The Tensho Jingo War was also depicted in the historical drama "Sanadamaru," which aired in 2016.
After the Tensho Jingo Rebellion, Kofu came under the direct control of the Toyotomi clan and was given to Toyotomi Hidekatsu, the younger brother of Toyotomi Hidetsugu. Kofu Castle was built during this period, and the prevailing theory is that it was built by order of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, but there is also a theory that it was built by Tokugawa Ieyasu. However, the stone walls of Kofu Castle that remain today have strong characteristics of construction during the Toyotomi daimyo era, so the prevailing theory is that it was built by order of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Kofu Castle was built with different lords, Toyotomi Hidekatsu, Kato Mitsuyasu, and Asada Nagamasa.
In the Edo period, Kofu Castle became an important location for keeping an eye on the outside feudal lords in the west, and the related "Kofu Domain" was born, with Tokugawa Ieyasu's ninth son as its first lord. The Kofu area later came under direct control of the shogunate, and in 1727 (the 12th year of the Kyoho era) in the middle of the Edo period, most of the buildings were destroyed in a major fire. Furthermore, at the end of the Edo period, it became the scene of a battle at Koshu Katsunuma, where the fate of the Edo Shogunate was at stake, and it was the scene of a fierce battle between Itagaki Taisuke, commander of the Meiji government army, and the former Shogunate army led by Shinsengumi member Kondo Isami.
This battle has been made into a TV drama and a movie many times, and it is said to be the end of the Shinsengumi and the capture of the kidnapper Kondo Isami. In the end, Kofu Castle became the property of the Meiji government, and this battle was one of the reasons why Edo Castle chose to surrender without bloodshed. - Kofu Castle after the Edo period
- During the Meiji period, Kofu Castle was abandoned and most of the buildings were demolished or relocated and disappeared. Currently, only Bishamon-do Hall remains. Parts of the turret and gate were restored in the 1990s and 2000s.
For many years, the prevailing opinion about Kofu Castle was that "there was no castle tower." However, excavations and other surveys have led to the emergence of the view that a castle tower did exist for a time during the Toyotomi government.
There are also opinions that a castle similar to the existing Matsumoto Castle tower once existed, and in the 2010s, there was a campaign to offer rewards for documents related to the tower, and there was also a movement to restore the tower. However, as of October 2024, no concrete plans have been made for the restoration of the tower. If this were to happen, it could become a new famous tourist spot in Kofu. - summary
- Kofu Castle was built under the Toyotomi government, and was also considered an important strategic point under the Tokugawa government. The castle ruins are now maintained as a historical park, and visitors can view the remains of the stone walls, as well as the restored gates and turrets, free of charge.
Read about incidents related to Kofu Castle
- Battle of KawanakajimaDestined rivals, Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin
- Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin, mortal rivals from the Sengoku period. The battle in which these two warlords clashed was the ``Battle of Kawanakajima'' for control of Kita-Shinano (northern Nagano Prefecture). We fought five times over 12 years, but in the end, no settlement was reached.
- Battle of NagashinoLooking back on the Battle of Nagashino, where Katsuyori Takeda suffered a crushing defeat
- One of the famous battles of the Sengoku period was the Battle of Nagashino, fought between Takeda Katsuyori, who succeeded Takeda Shingen, and the combined forces of Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu. To explain briefly, it was a battle in which the Oda and Tokugawa forces defeated the Takeda forces at Nagashino Castle and Shitarahara in Mikawa Province (Aichi Prefecture).
- Okubo Nagayasu IncidentAn embezzlement case in the early Edo period? Or a political change? What is the “Okubo Nagayasu Incident”?
- Political factionalism is always present. However, now even if you lose, you won't lose your life. However, during the Edo period, there were cases where clans were destroyed as a result of losing the battle for power. One of them was Keicho 18 (1613).
- Battle of TenmokuyamaThe downfall of the Takeda clan
- From February to March 1582, Oda Nobunaga conducted a conquest of Koshu and destroyed the Takeda clan. The final battle was the ``Battle of Mt. Tenmoku,'' which took place on March 11th at Mt. From the Oda army
- Conquest of KoshuNobunaga and Ieyasu attack and destroy the Takeda clan
- From February to March 1582, Oda Nobunaga, along with Tokugawa Ieyasu and others, carried out the ``Koshu Conquest'' to attack the Takeda clan. Nobunaga did not overlook the Takeda clan, which had weakened due to the civil war caused by the succession issue and the defeat at the Battle of Nagashino, and sent a large army to it.
Read biographies of people related to Kofu Castle
- Takeda ShingenKai Tiger raising the flag of Fuurinkazan
- Throughout the Sengoku period, Tokugawa Ieyasu unified Japan and established the Edo shogunate. The person whom Ieyasu fought and lost, and whom he respected, was Harunobu Takeda of Kai (present-day Yamanashi Prefecture) (who later became a priest and took the name Takeda Shingen). Also, along with Ieyasu, Sengoku
- Katsuyori TakedaAn excellent military commander who struggled after his great father.
- Katsuyori Takeda was a Sengoku daimyo who was based in Kai and Shinano provinces from the Sengoku period to the Azuchi-Momoyama period. His father was Takeda Shingen, and he was born as his fourth son. After taking over the Takeda family, he struggled to control the vassals left behind by his great father.
- Chikayoshi HiraiwaA loyal retainer who gained tremendous trust from the people of Japan.
- The late Muromachi period was a time of war and turmoil, also known as the Sengoku period, which was compared to the history of China. It was Tokugawa Ieyasu who brought an end to this era. Supported by many retainers, Ieyasu established the Edo Shogunate and became a ruler of Japan. The representative who supported this Ieyasu
- Nobutora TakedaKai no Tora's father
- During the Sengoku period, there was a feared daimyo who ruled Kai Province (present-day Yamanashi Prefecture). This is Takeda Shingen. Takeda Shingen was born as the eldest son of Takeda Nobutora, the shugo daimyo of Kai Province. Nobutora unified Kai Province, which had been in constant conflict, and the Hojo family of Sagami Province.
History of the Kofu Domain, with Kofu Castle as its domain office
| Domain office | Kofu Castle |
|---|---|
| old area | Kai country |
| stone height | 225,000 koku |
| Fudai/Tozama | family |
| main lord | Asano family, Tokugawa family, Yanagisawa family |
A key location in the Kanto region ruled by Takeda Shingen. During the Edo period, there was a period when feudal domains were established, and members of the shogun's family, such as the sons and brothers of the shogun, assumed the position of lord. Outside of the family, Yoshiyasu Yanagisawa also became the lord of the domain and promoted the development of the castle town and water utilization projects.