* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Hamada Castle
浜田城
Hamada Castle is a historic castle in Chūgoku dating from the Construction begun in 1620 (Genna 6) under Shigeyoshi Furuta; completed in 1623 (Genna 9), whose lord was Shigeyoshi Furuta → Matsui Matsudaira family (Hamada Matsudaira) → Matsudaira (Ochi) family.
Overview
Hamada Castle is a mountain castle located in Hamada City, Shimane Prefecture, constructed on the hills of Hamada, a major city in the Sanin region during the early modern period. After siding with the Eastern Army (Tokugawa faction) in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 (Keicho 5), Shigeyoshi Furuta entered his domain in 1619 (Genna 5), commenced construction in 1620 (Genna 6), and completed the castle in 1623 (Genna 9).
The castle utilized a hillside formation called Kakuzaki, featuring a stepped (tekikaku-shiki) layout connecting the third, second, and main citadels toward the mountaintop. From the keep, leveraging its proximity to the sea, one could survey the entire Sea of Japan, and the fortress structure completely controlled the strategic point connecting the Sanin and Yamaguchi regions as "Hamada of Iwami."
Following the Furuta clan, the Matsui Matsudaira family (a prominent Kanto branch of the Matsudaira lineage) entered the domain and continued stable governance as the Hamada Matsudaira family until the late Edo period. Tensions with the Choshu domain (Mori clan) escalated in Bunkyū 3 (1863) and Genji 1 (1864), and during the Second Choshu Expedition (Battle of Sekishu-guchi) in Keiō 2 (1866), the Hamada domain made the dramatic decision to set fire to the castle themselves (Hamada Castle Self-Burning Incident), relocating the domain administration inland to Misumi and continuing resistance. Due to this dramatic self-burning, the castle's principal structures did not survive; today only the stone walls and dry moats remain as a national historic site.
Hamada functioned as a key port of Iwami, serving as an export harbor from the Iwami Silver Mine (a UNESCO World Heritage site) to the Pacific, and the castle town flourished as a silver distribution hub with a rich commercial history.
Connection to Swords
The relationship between Hamada Castle and the Japanese sword can be understood from both the regional characteristics of Iwami (western Shimane Prefecture) and the samurai culture of the castle town. The province of Iwami developed advanced metal refining and processing techniques due to the overwhelming presence of the Iwami Silver Mine. Metal-working expertise cultivated through mining and refining in the silver mines exerted some influence on the manufacture of steel used as blade material. While swordsmiths of the Iwami region are not widely known nationally, small-scale forges existed throughout the area to meet local demand, and the Hamada castle town also conducted repair and procurement of swords for the samurai's sidearms. The Matsui Matsudaira family originated from Mikawa (Aichi Prefecture), a region also known as a center of swordsmithing known as 'Mikawa smithing' during the Muromachi and Sengoku periods. Mikawa smithing inherited the style of the Suenoseki lineage and forged practical, utilitarian swords that met the demand of warriors traveling the Tokaido. It is presumed that swords possessed by Hamada domain samurai included works by smiths connected to their former domain of Mikawa. The Hamada Castle Self-Burning Incident of the late Edo period is known as a dramatic late-Edo event where samurai fulfilled their code of honor by burning the castle; it is said that the swords and armor that domain samurai carried were offered and entrusted to nearby shrines and temples as cultural artifacts symbolizing Hamada's samurai heritage. The presence of Japanese swords wielded during this self-burning makes it possible to discuss Hamada Castle from the perspective of late-Edo sword history.
Highlights
- Stone walls of the Honmaru (main citadel) keep platform — field-stone dry masonry surviving the 1866 self-burning (Keio 2), designated historic site of Shimane Prefecture
- Hamada Castle Ruins Park — castle ruins park where the spatial layouts of the third, second, and main baileys can be explored via walking trails
- Panoramic view of the Sea of Japan — spectacular vista of the Iwami coast and Sea of Japan from the remains of the main bailey
- Iwami Ginzan (UNESCO World Heritage) — world-class silver mine directly linked to Hamada's shipping port, approximately 1 hour by car
- Memory of the Hamada self-burning incident — history symbolizing samurai honor, when the castle was intentionally set ablaze in the late Edo period
- Hikawa Shrine and Kokubunji Temple — shrine and temple preserving samurai-donated armor and swords inherited by the castle town
* Opening hours and admission fees are subject to change. Please check the official website before visiting.