* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Arioka Castle (Itami Castle)
有岡城（伊丹城）
Arioka Castle (Itami Castle) is a historic castle in Kansai dating from the Founded in the Nanboku-chō period; rebuilt and renamed by Araki Murashige in 1574; fell in 1579, whose lord was Itami clan (later Araki Murashige).
Overview
Overview
Arioka Castle stood in present-day Itami, Hyogo Prefecture, and traces its origins to Itami Castle, held by the local Itami clan from the Nanboku-chō through the Sengoku period. In November 1574, Araki Murashige, a general under Oda Nobunaga, took the castle from the Itami and renamed it Arioka, carrying out a major reconstruction.
A Sōgamae Fortress
Murashige's rebuilding adopted a sōgamae layout, enclosing not just the castle itself but the surrounding samurai and merchant quarters within a single system of moats and earthworks — an advanced design for the Kinai region at the time.
Murashige's Revolt and the Fall of the Castle
In 1578, Murashige suddenly rebelled against Nobunaga and holed up in Arioka Castle. Kuroda Yoshitaka (Kanbei), a strategist on the Oda side, went to the castle to try to talk him down but was captured; tradition holds that he was imprisoned within the castle for nearly a year until its fall. In October 1579, Oda forces launched an all-out assault and the castle fell; Murashige fled alone, while most of his remaining family and retainers were executed at Amagasaki.
Present State
Recognized for its value as a sōgamae fortress, the site was designated a National Historic Site in December 1979, with an additional designation in May 1988. Today, portions of its stone walls, earthworks, and a well are preserved and open to the public as a park in front of JR Itami Station.
Connection to Swords
A tradition connecting the site to the world of swords holds that Kuroda Yoshitaka (Kanbei), imprisoned at Arioka Castle, later received the celebrated blade "Heshikiri Hasebe" — a National Treasure made by the Nanboku-chō swordsmith Hasebe Kunishige — from Oda Nobunaga. During Murashige's revolt, Nobunaga is said to have ordered the execution of Kanbei's hostage son, Matsujumaru (later Kuroda Nagamasa), though the boy was reportedly saved through the quick thinking of Takenaka Hanbei. As tradition tells it, the sword was later bestowed on the Kuroda family as a token of trust in Kanbei, who endured roughly a year of imprisonment at Arioka before the castle's fall. "Heshikiri Hasebe" is now held at the Fukuoka City Museum and designated a National Treasure.
Highlights
- Sōgamae layout — an advanced Sengoku-period design enclosing both the castle and its castle town
- Site of Kuroda Kanbei's imprisonment — the setting for the traditional account of Araki Murashige's revolt
- Preserved grounds in front of JR Itami Station — stone walls, earthworks, and a well maintained as a park
- National Historic Site — designated in 1979 for its value as a sōgamae fortress
* Opening hours and admission fees are subject to change. Please check the official website before visiting.