* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Nagakute Castle
長久手城
Nagakute Castle is a historic castle in Chūbu dating from the Small fortress established by local warriors in the Muromachi period; became the most intense battlefield of the 1584 Battle of Nagakute — a pivotal turning point in late Sengoku history, whose lord was Katō Tadakage (founder) → Contested battlefield of Tokugawa and Toyotomi forces at the Battle of Nagakute.
Overview
Nagakute Castle in Nagakute City, Aichi Prefecture, is a small earthwork fortress associated with one of the Sengoku period's most strategically consequential battles: the Battle of Nagakute (1584), fought as part of the broader Komaki-Nagakute Campaign between Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the alliance of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Oda Nobukatsu.
The castle itself was a modest fortification built by the local Katō clan during the Muromachi period — not a major regional stronghold but a local defensive position whose surroundings became a crucial battlefield. The Battle of Nagakute unfolded on April 9, 1584, when Ikeda Tsuneoki and Mori Nagayoshi led a Toyotomi force through the Nagakute area in a strategic gambit to strike at Tokugawa Ieyasu's home province of Mikawa while Hideyoshi's main army was positioned elsewhere.
Ieyasu detected the flanking move and launched a lightning counterattack before Hideyoshi could respond. In the ensuing engagement, Ikeda Tsuneoki, his son Mototsugu, and Mori Nagayoshi — three of Hideyoshi's most capable and trusted commanders — were killed. Ikeda Tsuneoki was Hideyoshi's foster brother (uba-kyōdai) and one of his closest military lieutenants; his death was a severe blow to Toyotomi prestige.
Despite his overwhelming numerical superiority, Hideyoshi chose to negotiate rather than press the campaign after the Nagakute defeat — a decision that resulted in the peace terms under which Ieyasu eventually submitted to Toyotomi authority in 1585–86. This submission in turn preserved Tokugawa power and domain intact, enabling Ieyasu to emerge as Hideyoshi's successor after Sekigahara (1600). Nagakute is thus the place where the trajectory toward Tokugawa hegemony was first made possible — a battle where the smaller force's tactical victory shaped a century of Japanese history.
Connection to Swords
The relationship between Nagakute Castle and the Japanese sword is deeply rooted in both the Battle of Nagakute—a great open-field engagement of the late Sengoku period—and the blade culture embodied by its principal figures. Ikeda Tsuneoki, who fell in battle at Nagakute, was a warrior who served Nobunaga from childhood as his foster brother. He was also a bearer of warrior culture against the background of the prosperous regional industries of Owari and Settsu (particularly the sword distribution networks of Sakai and Owari). Tsuneoki's eldest son Gennosuke also fell in battle on the same day. The swords and armor associated with the Ikeda family line—continuing Tsuneoki's succession—have been transmitted to the Ikeda families of Okayama and Tottori (such as the Hayashibara Art Museum and Watanabe Art Museum). Tokugawa Ieyasu is said to have taken the front lines himself and exercised direct command at the Battle of Nagakute, and multiple traditions remain concerning the sword he wore at his side during the battle. Throughout his life, Ieyasu is spoken of as having a deep connection to Muramasa blades. It is said that his father Matsudaira Hirotada was wounded by a Muramasa blade, his son Nobuyasu committed ritual suicide with a Muramasa blade, and Ieyasu himself was cut by one. From these circumstances arose a legend that Ieyasu avoided Muramasa blades as cursed and inauspicious swords. The Battle of Nagakute represents practical combat occurring at the period most closely connected to these Ieyasu sword traditions, and thus holds profound significance as a living record of sword use on the battlefield. Owari (Aichi Prefecture) was also important as a sword-producing region, functioning as a distribution hub through which sword smiths from Seki (Gifu) supplied "Mino-made" blades to Owari and Mikawa via the Tōkaidō. Many of the Tōkai region warriors who participated in the Battle of Nagakute carried swords produced in Mino and Owari, and Nagakute occupied a central position within this sword-distribution culture sphere.
Highlights
- Nagakute Ancient Battlefield (National Historic Site) — Burial sites and head mound of Ikeda Tsuneoki, Ikeda Motosuké, and Mori Nagayoshi; the main battleground of the Battle of Nagakute
- Nagakute Castle Ruins (Iwasaku Castle Mountain) — Remains of the small fortress that served as the stage of the battle, with earthen walls and dry moats still intact
- Shikikinzan Historic Park — A small elevated hill where Tokugawa Ieyasu established his main camp, offering a panoramic view of the entire battle
- Nagakute City Local History Museum — Exhibitions of the Battle of Nagakute's background, excavated artifacts, and armor and helmets
- Komaki Castle (Komaki City) — Tokugawa's base during the "Battle of Komaki," which occurred concurrently with the Battle of Nagakute, approximately 20 minutes by car
- Aichi Expo Memorial Park (Mori Koro Park) — Large park adjacent to the Nagakute Ancient Battlefield, combining historical exploration with nature tourism
* Opening hours and admission fees are subject to change. Please check the official website before visiting.