Shizugatake Fortress

Connection to Swords

The relationship between the Battle of Shizugatake and Japanese swords and weaponry is symbolized in the very name "Seven Spears of Shizugatake." This battle, in which the spear (yari) served as the primary weapon, exemplifies the typical distinction between spear and sword usage as weapons during the Sengoku period. However, the seven spears warriors also engaged in close combat with katana between spear engagements, demonstrating that both sword and spear saw practical use in battle. One of the Seven Spears, Katō Kiyomasa, later became lord of Kumamoto Castle and became known as a collector of fine swords. A sword said to have been bestowed by Hideyoshi on Kiyomasa for his achievements at Shizugatake is enshrined at Katō Shrine in Kumamoto Prefecture. Similarly, Fukushima Masanori was a warrior who patronized swordsmiths at Hiroshima and Kiyosu Castle, and his military achievements at Shizugatake became the starting point of his later collecting career in swords. Many warriors who sided with Shibata Katsuie had close connections with swordsmiths associated with Echizen (Fukui), and masterworks of Echizen smithing were worn as swords by these warriors. It is said that when Katsuie committed suicide at Hojō Castle (Fukui Castle) following his defeat at Shizugatake, a fine sword lay at his side. Swords associated with Katsuie are preserved at shrines and museums throughout Fukui Prefecture today, quietly continuing to tell the history of a defeated warrior. The area surrounding Shizugatake remains a region where the tradition of sword-smithing flourishes, and the blade culture of Ōmi (Shiga) carries forward the warlord culture of the Azuchi-Momoyama period. Nagahama Castle History Museum displays armor and swords associated with the Seven Spears, allowing visitors to directly experience the historical connection between the battle and blade culture.