* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Amagasaki Castle
尼崎城
Amagasaki Castle is a historic castle in the Kansai region (Edo period (built in 1617)). Its lord was Toda Ujikane (later the Aoyama clan, then the Sakurai-Matsudaira clan).
Overview
Overview
Amagasaki Castle is an early-modern flatland castle in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, founded in 1617 when Toda Ujikane, a hereditary Tokugawa vassal, was installed as lord of the newly created Amagasaki domain with a stipend of 50,000 koku. After the Siege of Osaka, the Tokugawa shogunate placed Osaka under direct rule and sought a stronghold west of the city to check the western daimyo, ordering Ujikane to build the castle here.
Construction and Layout
Built over several years beginning in 1618, the castle precinct measured roughly 300 meters on each side, encircled by a triple moat and crowned with a four-story main keep. The town was laid out as a sōgamae, enclosing the castle, samurai quarters, and merchant district together, and it served as the seat of Amagasaki domain's administration.
Succession of Lords
After the Toda, the Aoyama clan took over, and in 1711 (Shōtoku 1) the Sakurai-Matsudaira clan entered the domain, holding the castle until the end of the Edo period as lords of a 40,000-koku domain.
Present State
Following the 1873 abolition edict, the castle's structures were torn down and its moats gradually filled in as the area urbanized. In the Heisei era, Akira Anbo, founder of a home-appliance retail chain, funded a reinforced-concrete reconstruction keep — built on the site of the former West Third Bailey (now Amagasaki Castle Ruins Park), about 300 meters northwest of the original keep site — which opened to the public in March 2019. The keep now houses a historical exhibition hall telling the story of Amagasaki's castle town.
Connection to Swords
No sword is recorded as having been passed down at Amagasaki Castle itself, but blades associated with the former Amagasaki domain and its samurai community are preserved at the Amashin Kaikan, operated by the local Amagasaki Shinkin Bank. Alongside materials related to the old castle town, the museum permanently displays, as its centerpiece, the Important Cultural Property tachi signed "Moriie," associated with the Sakurai-Matsudaira family, lords of Amagasaki, together with numerous historical materials including Amagasaki City designated cultural properties. These materials illustrate the ties between Amagasaki's castle town and the culture of the Japanese sword.
Highlights
- Reconstructed keep — opened 2019, built on the former West Third Bailey site about 300 m northwest of the original keep site
- Keep interior exhibits — historical displays on Amagasaki and a viewing floor at the top
- Amashin Kaikan — permanent exhibits of tachi swords and armor connected to Amagasaki
- Amagasaki Castle Ruins Park — also known as a cherry blossom viewing spot
* Opening hours and admission fees are subject to change. Please check the official website before visiting.