* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Ichinomiya Castle
一宮城
Ichinomiya Castle is a historic castle in Shikoku dating from the Built in 1338 (Engen 3 / Ryakuō 1); abandoned in 1638 (Kan'ei 15), whose lord was The Ichinomiya clan (originally the Ogasawara clan); the Miyoshi clan; the Chōsokabe clan (Tani Tadazumi, Emura Chikatoshi); Hachisuka Iemasa.
Overview
Overview
Ichinomiya Castle was a mountain castle in Ichinomiya-chō, Tokushima City, Tokushima Prefecture, with its main bailey at an elevation of 144.3 meters and baileys spread across an area roughly 800 meters east-west and 500 meters north-south, making it one of the largest mountain castles in Tokushima Prefecture. Built during the Nanboku-chō period, it became one of the main battlegrounds of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's conquest of Shikoku in the late Sengoku period. It is a Tokushima Prefecture Designated Historic Site and one of the Continuation of the 100 Fine Castles of Japan.
Construction and the Ichinomiya Clan
In 1338 (Engen 3 / Ryakuō 1), Ogasawara Nagamune, fourth son of the Awa shugo Ogasawara Nagafusa, destroyed Ichinomiya Munenari, built a castle on the site, and took the name Ichinomiya. The Ichinomiya clan subsequently held it as their hereditary stronghold.
From Miyoshi Rule to the Chōsokabe Invasion
During the Sengoku period, the Ichinomiya clan was absorbed into the Miyoshi retainer band, and Ichinomiya Narisuke (also known as Ichinomiya Narisuke/Naruyoshi) became a powerful figure within the Miyoshi house. In 1577 (Tenshō 5), as Miyoshi Nagaharu's power waned, Narisuke raised arms in support of Hosokawa Sadayuki, driving Nagaharu to suicide on March 18 of that year. However, as Chōsokabe Motochika's invasion of Awa progressed, Narisuke was ambushed and killed himself at Iyayama Castle on November 7, 1582 (Tenshō 10), attacked by forces under the Chōsokabe retainer Hata Yasuke.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi's Conquest of Shikoku
In May 1585 (Tenshō 13), Ichinomiya Castle was attacked by a force of 40,000 troops under Hashiba Hidenaga. The defenders, numbering roughly 10,000, held out well, and the struggle over the castle's water supply is recorded in multiple sources including the Taikōki; the castle surrendered in late July of that year.
Renovation Under the Hachisuka Clan and Abandonment
In September of that year, Hashiba Hideyoshi granted the whole of Awa Province to Hachisuka Iemasa, who made Ichinomiya Castle his residence; most of the stone walls surviving today are believed to date from the major renovation carried out during this period. After Iemasa built Tokushima Castle and relocated there in 1586 (Tenshō 14), Masuda Mochimasa served as castle keeper. The castle was abandoned in 1638 (Kan'ei 15) under the One Castle Per Province Edict, and some of its stones are said to have been reused in repairs to Tokushima Castle.
Structure and Surviving Remains
The main bailey at the summit is surrounded by nozura-zumi stone walls built of crystalline schist, said to have had a yagura-mon gate on its eastern side. Although there is no tenshu foundation, foundation stones on the southern side suggest the possible existence of a tenshu-equivalent structure. Other baileys include Myōjin-maru (the second bailey), Saizō-maru (the third bailey), Ogura-maru, Shii-maru, and Mizunote-maru, with defenses making extensive use of vertical moats, horizontal moats, and dry moats (horigiri) designed for flanking fire.
Present State and Access
It was designated a Tokushima Prefecture Historic Site on August 6, 1954, and was selected as No. 176 in the Continuation of the 100 Fine Castles of Japan on April 6, 2017. The stone walls of the main bailey were restored by Tokushima City in the spring of 1986. From the parking lot at Ichinomiya Shrine, it is about a 30-minute climb along the mountain trail to the main bailey ruins.
Connection to Swords
Highlights
- One of the largest mountain castles in Tokushima Prefecture, centered on a main bailey at 144.3 meters elevation
- In 1577, Ichinomiya Narisuke raised arms in support of Hosokawa Sadayuki and drove Miyoshi Nagaharu to suicide
- In 1585, during Hideyoshi's conquest of Shikoku, it withstood an attack by Hashiba Hidenaga's 40,000 troops before surrendering after a struggle over its water supply
- Major renovations under Hachisuka Iemasa produced nozura-zumi stone walls of crystalline schist, second in scale in Tokushima Prefecture only to Tokushima Castle
- A Tokushima Prefecture Designated Historic Site and No. 176 in the Continuation of the 100 Fine Castles of Japan
* Opening hours and admission fees are subject to change. Please check the official website before visiting.