* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Shinpu Castle (Nirasaki Castle)
新府城（韮崎城）
Shinpu Castle (Nirasaki Castle) is a historic castle in Chūbu dating from the Built 1581 (Tenshō 9); burned by Katsuyori himself in 1582 on the eve of the Takeda clan's destruction, whose lord was Takeda Katsuyori.
Overview
Shinpu Castle in Nirasaki, Yamanashi Prefecture, is one of Japanese history's most poignant fortresses — built in 1581 by Takeda Katsuyori as his clan's last stronghold, and burned by his own hand just months later as the Takeda fell to Oda Nobunaga's overwhelming invasion.
After the catastrophic defeat at Nagashino (1575), Katsuyori resolved to leave his father Shingen's Tsutsujigasaki Palace at Kōfu and build a genuinely fortified castle. Shinpu's layout on the Shichiri-iwa plateau, with its massive umadashi (cavalry sally ports), earthworks, and carefully planned defensive circuit, represents the pinnacle of Takeda military engineering. Yet betrayal and the relentless advance of Oda-Tokugawa forces gave Katsuyori no time to use it. He abandoned and burned the castle in March 1582, fled with a handful of retainers, and died by his own sword at Tenmokuzan shortly after, ending the Takeda clan.
The site is now a National Historic Site. Excavations continue to reveal construction details and artifacts, and the castle's sophisticated earthwork design is increasingly appreciated by scholars. The site commands panoramic views of Mount Fuji, the Southern Alps, and the Yatsugatake range.
Connection to Swords
The bond between Shinpu Castle and Japanese swords is inseparable from the extinction of the Takeda clan—a pivotal turning point in sword history. Katsuyori Takeda's move to Shinpu Castle came after the Battle of Nagashino marked the end of the Takeda's "Age of the Blade," and the castle embodied the transition in Japanese weapon history from sword to firearm. The Takeda clan were bearers of a practical battlefield-oriented sword culture known as Kōshū-mono. Against the backdrop of high-quality iron sand from Kai and Shinano and skilled swordsmiths, the officers and soldiers of the Takeda army favored long-bladed katana and tachi suited to mounted combat. When they moved to Shinpu Castle, the celebrated blades managed by the Takeda family's sword bearers (okatanadban) were also brought into the castle, and the senior retainers close to Katsuyori carried ancestral swords. Among the swords transmitted from Shingen to Katsuyori are several celebrated blades that have been handed down as "Shingen's personal swords." Most were seized by Oda and Tokugawa forces after the Takeda extinction, but some were preserved by loyal retainers and transmitted to later generations. When Shinpu Castle was burned, the swords Katsuyori could carry away were limited, and most are said to have been lost in the flames. When Tokugawa Ieyasu actively recruited former Takeda retainers after the Takeda's fall, some of the former Takeda swords also entered the Tokugawa storehouse, coming to be remembered in later ages as "swords handed down from the Takeda." At Takeda Shrine in Kōfu (the Tsutsujigasaki Palace site), Takeda-related swords are enshrined, demonstrating historical continuity with Shinpu Castle.
Highlights
- Umadashi sally port structures (original earthworks) — finest surviving example of Takeda castle engineering
- Earthworks and moats — well-preserved Sengoku-era defensive circuit, National Historic Site
- Main enclosure views — panorama of Mount Fuji, Southern Alps, and Yatsugatake
- Fujitake Shrine — small shrine within the castle ruins connected to the Takeda clan
- Site interpretation boards — detailed maps reflecting ongoing excavation findings
- Shichiri-iwa cliffs — natural precipice guarding three sides of the castle
* Opening hours and admission fees are subject to change. Please check the official website before visiting.