* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Miyazu Castle
宮津城
Miyazu Castle is a historic castle in kinki dating from the Founded in 1580 (Tenshō 8), when Hosokawa Fujitaka fortified Miyazu Castle; served as the central stronghold of Tango Province throughout the Edo period, whose lord was Hosokawa Fujitaka (Yūsai) → Hosokawa Tadaoki → Kyogoku clan → Okudaira-Matsudaira clan → Honjo-Matsudaira clan.
Overview
Miyazu Castle is a flatland castle located in Miyazu City, Kyoto Prefecture, that served as a stronghold for controlling Tango Province (present-day northern Kyoto). While Miyazu is widely known for being home to Amanohashidate, one of Japan's three great scenic views (Nihon Sankei), Miyazu Castle was a water castle built at the innermost point of Miyazu Bay and was strategically positioned as a key point commanding maritime traffic throughout the Tango region.
The role of greatest significance in the castle's development was played by Hosokawa Fujitaka (Yūsai). Fujitaka was a warrior who served the Ashikaga shogunate and was both a military man and a culturally accomplished figure deeply versed in waka poetry, Noh theater, and the way of tea. In particular, his inheritance of Kokin Denzō (the secret transmission of the Collection of Ancient and Modern Poems) would later give rise to a dramatic moment on the eve of the Battle of Sekigahara.
In July of that year (Keichō 5, 1600), preceding the Battle of Sekigahara, Hosokawa Yūsai, who was garrisoned at Tanabe Castle (present-day Maizuru City), was besieged by forces of the Western Army. When Emperor Go-Yōzei and the imperial court grew concerned about the potential discontinuation of Kokin Denzō transmission due to Yūsai's defense of the castle and viewed this as problematic, the Emperor himself dispatched an imperial envoy to broker peace—an extremely rare occurrence in Japanese history.
After Sekigahara, the Hosokawa clan was transferred to Buzen (Fukuoka) and subsequently to Kumamoto. Miyazu then came under the rule of the Kyogoku clan, followed by the Okudaira-Matsudaira and Honjo-Matsudaira clans, and continued to function as Tango's central stronghold until the end of the Edo period. After the Meiji Restoration, the castle was abandoned and its structures were dismantled, though portions of the stone walls remain.
Connection to Swords
The relationship between Miyazu Castle and Japanese swords is best understood through the figures of Hosokawa Fujitaka (Yūsai), the castle's lord, and his son Hosokawa Tadaoki, both in their capacities as warriors and cultural figures. Hosokawa Tadaoki was a senior disciple of Sen no Rikyū (one of the Seven Disciples of Rikyū) and was renowned as a man of tea culture. As a warrior, he was a seasoned veteran of numerous battles including Toragozen-yama Fort (Battle of Shizugatake), the siege of Odawara, the Imjin War, and the Battle of Sekigahara. The Hosokawa clan possessed important swords including the Kasen Kanesada, and this blade—which Tadaoki favored as his personal katana—is still housed today at the Hosokawa clan's Eisei Bunko, among the finest swords in existence. The Kanesada is a renowned blade associated with swordsmith Nosada of Seki, Mino Province (Seki City, Gifu Prefecture), and is said to have received its name from Tadaoki's praise that it 'rivals the Thirty-Six Poetry Sages.' Hosokawa Fujitaka himself wore swords throughout his life as a warrior, yet as a cultured figure he possessed deep understanding of the aesthetic value of blades. Fujitaka associated with Sen no Rikyū and Furuta Oribe, and embodied the warrior-aesthete whose appreciation of sword fittings (koshirae) in the world of chanoyu reflected the principles of wabi, simplicity, and the beauty of restraint. Miyazu (Tango Province) was situated near important sword-smithing centers such as Kyoto and Tanba (including Tanba Sasayama), providing the samurai of Miyazu Castle with easy access to blades from smiths connected to Tanba (central Kyoto Prefecture). Swords from neighboring provinces—Yamashiro, Tanba, and Wakasa—also circulated in the region. Miyazu Castle remains an indispensable landmark for understanding Hosokawa clan sword culture—the discriminating eye and martial achievements that produced the Kasen Kanesada.
Highlights
- Miyazu Castle Ruins Stone Walls — The castle's stone ramparts are preserved and maintained as Tsuruga Park
- Amanohashidate — One of Japan's Three Great Scenic Views, a sandbar peninsula landscape stretching before the castle
- Kasen Kanesada — A masterwork katana named by Miyazu Castle lord Hosokawa Tadaoki, housed at the Eisei Bunko collection
- Chion-ji Temple (Monjudō Hall) — A renowned temple adjacent to Amanohashidate, preserving cultural treasures with Hosokawa clan connections
- Tanabe Castle (Maizuru Castle) — The neighboring stronghold where Hosokawa Yūsai conducted his famous siege over the Kokin Denzō transmission (approximately 40 minutes by car)
- Tango Kingdom Kōnotori-no-Sato Park — A nearby cultural facility where visitors can experience the natural environment and heritage of Tango
* Opening hours and admission fees are subject to change. Please check the official website before visiting.