* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Hamamatsu Castle
浜松城
Hamamatsu Castle is a historic castle in Chūbu dating from the Ieyasu entered in 1570 (Genki 1), whose lord was Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Overview
About the Castle
Hamamatsu Castle is a hilltop flatland castle (hirayamajiro) standing on a hill in the central part of Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, now developed as Hamamatsu Castle Park. Tokugawa Ieyasu entered the castle at age 29 in Genki 1 (1570) and spent approximately 17 years there until his move to Sunpu in Tenshō 14 (1586). This period was the most difficult era in Ieyasu's lifetime, marked by his humiliating defeat by Takeda Shingen's vast army at the Battle of Mikatagahara in Genki 3 (1572). However, Ieyasu grew dramatically from the hardships of this Hamamatsu period, and it has been transmitted to posterity as the "Hamamatsu training years" — embodying the maxim "adversity in youth is worth seeking out." Hamamatsu Castle holds the alternate name "Castle of Advancement," known as an auspicious castle where successive lords rose to prominence.
The Battle of Mikatagahara and Ieyasu's Retreat
In December of Genki 3 (1572), during Takeda Shingen's westward campaign, Shingen led his Takeda army of approximately 27,000, threatening Hamamatsu. Ieyasu sallied forth from Hamamatsu Castle together with reinforcements dispatched by Oda Nobunaga, and clashed directly with the Takeda army at Mikatagahara (present-day northern Hamamatsu). However, he was utterly defeated, manipulated by the Takeda army's "Crane-wing Formation" (Kakuyoku no jin). Ieyasu fled back to Hamamatsu Castle with his life barely intact. The famous legend holds that, so as not to forget his shame, he had a portrait painted of his own terror-stricken face (the "Shikamizo"). From this defeat, Ieyasu learned deeply, and thereafter pursued the path to the unification of the realm through cautious military strategy and diplomacy. The Battle of Mikatagahara was the greatest failure in Ieyasu's history of defeats, yet it was simultaneously the greatest lesson that transformed him into a true warlord.
The Legend of the Castle of Advancement
The origin of the name "Castle of Advancement" for Hamamatsu Castle lies in the fact that successive lords, beginning with Tokugawa Ieyasu, uniformly advanced and prospered. During the Edo period, influential daimyo who served as Bakufu senior councillors (rōjū) and junior elders (wakatoshiyori) were frequently placed as Hamamatsu domain lords, and the tradition that "Hamamatsu Castle lords rise to prominence" became firmly established. Indeed, multiple individuals advanced from Hamamatsu domain lord to Tairō (Great Elder) or Rōjū (Senior Councillor), making Hamamatsu Castle one of the Bakufu's elite career paths. This "Castle of Advancement" tradition lives on in the present day, with many visitors coming to Hamamatsu Castle to offer prayers for employment, promotion, and examination success.
The Nozura-style Stone Walls and the Present Keep
The stone walls of Hamamatsu Castle are typical of nozura-zumi (uncut stone stacking), possessing an unsophisticated beauty achieved by skillfully stacking irregular natural stones. Nozura-zumi is typical of Sengoku-period stonewall technology, representing a valuable historical record of technique preceding the later development into uchikomi-hagi and kirikomi-hagi. The original keep existed in the early Edo period but was eventually dismantled, leaving only ruins. The present keep, constructed in Showa 33 (1958), is a reinforced-concrete replica, and its interior serves as the Hamamatsu Castle Park History Museum, exhibiting historical materials related to Tokugawa Ieyasu and Hamamatsu's history. Following the broadcast of the NHK taiga drama "Dōsuru Ieyasu" in Reiwa 5 (2023), the number of tourists visiting Hamamatsu surged dramatically, and the fame of Hamamatsu Castle increased further nationwide.
Hamamatsu's Industrial Culture
Hamamatsu began as the castle town of Tokugawa Ieyasu, but has developed into an industrial city known worldwide as the "Capital of Musical Instruments" and the "Capital of Motorcycles." It is the birthplace of world-renowned enterprises such as Yamaha and Kawai (musical instruments) and Suzuki and Honda (automobiles and motorcycles), and the DNA of manufacturing echoes the pragmatic spirit of Ieyasu's "Hamamatsu training years." Lake Hamana's eels are known as a national-brand product, and together with Hamamatsu gyoza, they comprise Hamamatsu's "Two Great Delicacies," captivating tourists.
Connection to Swords
The connection between Hamamatsu Castle and swords can be understood through Tokugawa Ieyasu's philosophy of swords, the lessons from his defeat at the Battle of Mikatagahara, and the accumulation of sword culture that developed as the castle grew in prominence during the Edo period. Tokugawa Ieyasu was one of Japan's greatest patrons and collectors of Japanese swords, and as "Sei-i Taishogun" (Commander-in-Chief of the Barbarian-Subduing Army)—the supreme authority of the realm—he demonstrated the authority and prestige of the Japanese sword to all Japan. The period when Ieyasu served as lord of Hamamatsu Castle (1570–1579) was a crucial time in the formation of his sword philosophy. At the Battle of Mikatagahara (1572), Ieyasu suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of the Takeda forces. To ensure he would never forget this humiliating loss, Ieyasu had himself painted with a frown, and fundamentally reconsidered his approach to martial arts and military equipment. After his defeat, Ieyasu deeply studied the superiority of Takeda forces' firearms and cavalry tactics, and devoted himself to the modernization of weapons and military strategy. From this period onward, Ieyasu developed a deeper interest in the quality of Japanese swords and the standardization of military blades (jintō), and it is believed that the philosophical foundation for the later Edo bakufu's sword system was formed during his Hamamatsu years. The most celebrated personal blade of Ieyasu is "Sohaya no Maru" (also known as Sohaya no Tsuruki), said to have been forged by Miike Tenta Mitsuyo, a swordsmith of the Heian period. This treasure sword is said to be a copy of the personal sword (the "Sakaue Imperial Sword") of Sakaue no Tamuramaro, a Heian-period general, and remains enshrined today as an Important Cultural Property at Kunōzan Tōshōgū in Shizuoka. Hamamatsu Castle was Ieyasu's castle during his formative years, and the profound interest in swords that took shape during this period became the foundation of the "Tokugawa shogunate's sword culture" in later years. During the Edo period, many of the lords of Hamamatsu domain were powerful figures in the bakufu, and swords bestowed by the shogunate gathered at Hamamatsu Castle. During the tenure of Mizuno Tadakuni, a senior retainer (rōjū) of the bakufu, as lord of Hamamatsu domain (1817–1845), while administrative reforms are discussed as a prelude to the Tenpō Reforms, the swords possessed by Tadakuni were treasures displaying the status of a warrior of senior-retainer rank. Hamamatsu Castle's tenshu displays armor and weapons including gold-damascened armor (kindai-bikugusoku) associated with Tokugawa Ieyasu, drawing many visitors as a site connected to "Dōsuru Ieyasu." Today, Hamamatsu is known as a city of musical instruments and the automobile industry, but the spirit of ultimate craftsmanship embodied in the Japanese sword and the spirit of precision engineering for which Hamamatsu is world-renowned resonate deeply in their shared principle: "tempering materials to their ultimate limits."
Highlights
- Replica tenshu and Hamamatsu Castle Park History Museum — displays Ieyasu-related armor, weapons, and a replica of the famous 'grimacing portrait'
- Mikatagahara Battlefield — about 15 min by car from the castle; the site of Ieyasu's greatest defeat and the birth of his most important lesson
- 'Castle of Advancement' prayers — a steady stream of modern visitors seeking good fortune in career advancement and examinations
- Lake Hamana eel cuisine — Hamamatsu's most famous food; savory kabayaki eel at historic restaurants near the castle
- Yamaha and Suzuki corporate museums — experience the origins of world-famous musical instrument and motorcycle brands
- Kunōzan Tōshōgū — about 1 hour by car in Shizuoka City; Japan's oldest Tōshōgū shrine enshrining Ieyasu, home to the sacred sword Sohaya no Tsuruki
* Opening hours and admission fees are subject to change. Please check the official website before visiting.