Iwamura Castle

Iwamura Castle
岩村城
Iwamura, Gifu Prefecture, Japan

Castle ruins
Coordinates 35°21′36″N 137°27′04″E / 35.36000°N 137.45111°E / 35.36000; 137.45111Coordinates: 35°21′36″N 137°27′04″E / 35.36000°N 137.45111°E / 35.36000; 137.45111
Type Mountaintop castle
Site history
Built 1185
Demolished 1871
Garrison information
Occupants Tōyama clan, Mori clan, Matsudaira clan, Niwa clan
Aerial view of the area around Iwamura Castle

Iwamura Castle (岩村城 Iwamura-jō) was located in the southeastern area of Mino Province in Japan. Its ruins can be found in the modern-day town of Iwamura in Ena District, Gifu Prefecture.[1]

Background

The castle was first founded in 1185[1] by Kato Kagekado who was the vassal or retainers of Minamoto no Yoritomo[2] and from the 13th to 16th centuries, it was in the fief of the Tōyama clan (遠山氏 Tōyama-shi). In the late 16th century, Toyama Kageto (who became a retainer of Oda Nobunaga) would be the last of the Toyama family to hold the castle.

Siege of Iwamura

In 1572, after the Siege of Iwamura, Takeda Shingen took the castle and entrusted it to Akiyama Nobutomo. The widow of Toyama Kageto negotiated the castles surrender and her own marriage to Nobutomo—for protection.

Revenge

From July–December 1575, Oda Nobunaga attacked and took the castle, and after a 6-month siege he promised Nobutomo safety and his life if he ended holding out. However he reneged on his word and had Nobutomo and his wife executed by hanging upside down—a punishment usually reserved for traitors. Nobunaga would eventually become Shogun or military ruler of all Japan.[3]

Various Rulers

Nobunaga placed the castle under the command of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi in turn transferred power of Iwamura Castle to Tamaru Tomotada. After the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, it was occupied under Tokugawa rule by the Ogyu Daimyo from 1601 to 1638, by the Niwa clan from 1638 to 1702, and finally by the Ishikawa clan from 1702 until the end of the Tokugawa period in 1868.

Dismantling

In 1873 Iwamura Castle was dismantled under a castle abolishment law. Today some stone walls and a turret are what remains of the old castle.[4] Today Iwamura Castle is considered in the top 3 examples of mountaintop castles in Japan.

References

  1. 1 2 "Iwamura Castle 岩村城". www.jcastle.info. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  2. ↑ "Iwamura Castle". castle.jpn.or. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  3. ↑ "Siege of Iwamur". www.vhinkle.com. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  4. ↑ "Iwamura Castle". www.kotodamaya.com. Retrieved 6 November 2012.


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/9/2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.