* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Kitsuki Castle
杵築城（木付城）
Kitsuki Castle is a historic castle in the Kyūshū region (Founded 1394 by Kitsuki Yorinao; Matsudaira clan became lords in the Edo period). Its lord was Kitsuki clan / Matsudaira (Nomi) clan.
Overview
Kitsuki Castle is a hirayama-jō (castle on a low hill) located in Kitsuki, Oita Prefecture, with the character of a kaijō (sea castle) built on a plateau jutting out into Morie Bay. The castle layout, with its main citadel (honmaru) at the tip of a plateau flanked on the north and south by the Yasaka River and the Takayama River, is known for its skillful design that makes maximum use of the natural terrain. The castle town is also called a "sandwich-type castle town" (sandoitchi-gata jōkamachi), and its unique topography, in which the merchant quarter is sandwiched between two elevated areas lined with samurai residences, creates a landscape that is rare throughout Japan.
It is said that Kitsuki Yorinao founded the castle in Ōei 1 (1394). The Kitsuki clan long supported Bungo Province as senior retainers of the Ōtomo clan, and during the Sengoku period the castle's importance grew even further. During the Shimazu invasion of Bungo in Tenshō 14 (1586), known as the Hōsa War, Kitsuki Castle also suffered the ravages of war but held out and functioned as a defensive stronghold for the Ōtomo clan.
After the Ōtomo clan was dispossessed (kaieki) in Bunroku 2 (1593) and the Kitsuki clan was destroyed, the castle passed through the Sugihara, Hosokawa, and Ogasawara clans. In Shōhō 2 (1645), the Matsudaira (Nomi) clan was enfeoffed, and the castle served as the administrative seat of Kitsuki Domain until the Meiji Restoration. Under Matsudaira rule, development of the castle town advanced, and the landscape of samurai residences that survives to the present was formed.
The present keep is a mock keep (mogi tenshu) built in Shōwa 45 (1970). However, the stone walls, moat, and samurai residences retain much of the character of the Edo period, and the old castle towns of Kitadai and Minamidai have been designated as Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Historic Buildings by the national government. The view from the castle overlooking Morie Bay is considered one of the finest scenic views in Oita.
Connection to Swords
Kitsuki Castle's connection to Japanese swords cannot be discussed without considering Ōtomo Sōrin, the most powerful figure in Sengoku-period Kyushu. The Kitsuki clan long served as senior retainers of the Ōtomo clan, and at the height of Ōtomo rule (mid-16th century), when the clan controlled six provinces (Bungo, Buzen, Chikuzen, Hizen, Higo, and Chikugo), Kitsuki Castle also played a part in their military and logistics network.
Ōtomo Sōrin actively promoted Southern Barbarian trade with Portugal. Bungo swords (Bungo-tō) were a major production center of practical blades that circulated nationwide from the Muromachi period onward. Ōtomo warlords who governed the castles of Bungo, including Kitsuki Castle, wore practical blades forged by Bungo smiths and contended for dominance over Kyushu.
Today, the mock keep of Kitsuki Castle displays historical materials such as the lord's armor. The Kitsuki Castle Town Museum, located in the Minamidai samurai residence district, presents the layout and history of the Kitsuki castle town through dioramas and other displays.
Highlights
- Kitsuki Castle Keep (mock keep) — observation deck overlooking Morie Bay and historical materials such as the lord's armor
- Sandwich-type castle town — National Important Preservation District for Historic Buildings, a topography unique in Japan
- Suya-no-saka & Shioya-no-saka — cobblestone slopes linking the samurai residence district and the merchant quarter
- Hitotsumatsu Residence — former home donated to Kitsuki City by the politician Hitotsumatsu Sadakichi, who succeeded the Hitotsumatsu family of Kitsuki town
- Kitsuki Castle Town Museum — presents the layout and history of the Kitsuki castle town through dioramas and other displays
- Views of Morie Bay — spectacular vistas of the Bungo sea and castle town from Shiroyama (castle hill)
* Opening hours and admission fees are subject to change. Please check the official website before visiting.