* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Takamatsu Castle (Tamamo Castle)
高松城（玉藻城）
Takamatsu Castle (Tamamo Castle) is a historic castle in Shikoku dating from the Built in 1588 (Tenshō 16), whose lord was Ikoma Chikamasa / Matsudaira Yorishige.
Overview
A Castle Floating on the Sea
In Tenshō 16 (1588), Ikoma Chikamasa, a retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, was granted Sanuki Province and built Takamatsu Castle, a "water castle (mizushiro)" that drew seawater directly from the Seto Inland Sea into its moats. Together with Imabari Castle and Nakatsu Castle, it is counted among Japan's Three Great Water Castles. The castle preserves existing structures including the Moon-viewing Turret, Connecting Turret, Water Gate, and Gonin Turret, and its unique location—where seawater moats rise and fall in sync with the tides of the Seto Inland Sea—has long astonished all who visit.
A Sea Castle of the Seto Inland Sea
The greatest feature of Takamatsu Castle is that the moats within the castle grounds drew seawater directly from the Seto Inland Sea. In former times, vessels could sail directly into the castle's main enclosure, and this defensive system in which castle and sea formed a unified whole embodied the military philosophy of the era, which presupposed support from a naval force commanding the sea. The Ikoma clan, having contributed to the unification of Shikoku, was granted approximately 170,000 koku of Sanuki and developed Takamatsu as their stronghold in Sanuki. However, in Kan'ei 17 (1640), the Ikoma clan was transferred to Dewa Province due to an internal clan conflict (the Ikoma Disturbance), and in their place, Matsudaira Yorishige, grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu, was appointed daimyō.
The Matsudaira Clan and Sword Culture
Matsudaira Yorishige was born as the eldest son of Tokugawa Yorifusa, the first daimyō of the Mito Tokugawa house, and served as the first daimyō of the Takamatsu Matsudaira clan, ruling Sanuki. Yorishige was renowned as a lord accomplished in both literary and martial pursuits, and while administering the domain, he devoted himself to promoting culture within his fief. The Takamatsu Matsudaira clan, maintaining deep ties to the Mito house, was a family with particularly strong interest in sword culture among the Tokugawa houses, and their collection of celebrated swords amassed by successive daimyō boasted the finest standard in Shikoku. Takamatsu domain promoted indigenous Sanuki industries—Sanuki lacquerware and whetstone production—becoming nationally recognized as a production center for whetstones used in the polishing of Japanese swords.
Sanuki Whetstones and Sword Culture
Sanuki Province, centered on Takamatsu Castle, played a crucial role in sword culture as a major production center for whetstones indispensable to the polishing of Japanese swords. Whetstones from Sanuki were known as "Sanuki toishi" and were highly valued by sword polishers (togishi) for their fine, uniform abrasive particles that were suited to finishing the blades of Japanese swords beautifully. The polishing technique that brings out the sharpness and beauty of celebrated swords was an essential element in the completion of Japanese swords, standing alongside the forging techniques of sword smiths, and Sanuki whetstones held an important place in this craft. The Takamatsu Matsudaira clan protected this whetstone industry as a major domain industry and was involved in establishing distribution networks that supplied Sanuki toishi to sword polishers throughout the nation.
Castle and Garden
At the site of Takamatsu Castle stands the former Matsudaira residence known as the Hiunkaku Pavilion, whose garden conveys the elegance of a daimyō garden to the present day. Within the castle park remain existing structures including the Moon-viewing Turret, Water Gate, and Connecting Turret, preserving the vestiges of the former castle. On the eastern side of the castle, the island of Yashima, famous as the site of the Battle of Yashima during the Genpei War in the late Heian period, is celebrated for the story of Nasu no Yoichi shooting down a fan target—one of the most famous episodes in Japanese archery history.
Modern Takamatsu
Today, the site of Takamatsu Castle has been developed as Tamamo Park, serving as a place of leisure for Takamatsu citizens. Small boats offer tours of the seawater moat, while spring cherry blossoms and autumn leaves greet visitors with the beauty of the seasons. While the castle keep foundation survives, the keep itself has been lost; currently, surveys and preparations for the restoration of the keep are underway. As a hub city for the Setouchi Triennale, Takamatsu attracts numerous visitors from throughout Japan and the world as a city of distinctive charm where contemporary art, history, and nature converge.
Connection to Swords
Sanuki Province (Kagawa), centered on Takamatsu Castle, has played a special role in sword culture as a major whetstone-producing region essential to the polishing and finishing of Japanese swords. Sanuki whetstones have been known since ancient times for their high quality, and in particular, their output of medium-grit and finishing whetstones was unrivaled nationwide. The beauty of Japanese swords is completed not only through the forging techniques of swordsmiths but also through the advanced techniques of polishers (togishi). Polishers employ multiple types of whetstones to refine the blade through many stages, bringing out to their fullest the beauty of the hamon, the grain of the jitetsu, and the elegance of the sori. In this polishing process, natural whetstones from various regions have been selected and used according to purpose. The successive daimyo of the Takamatsu Matsudaira house were renowned as sword collectors, and in particular the third daimyo Matsudaira Yorishige, inheriting the intellectual tradition of the Mito Tokugawa house, devoted himself to cultural enterprises and protected Sanuki's sword polishing industry as a vital domain enterprise. In Takamatsu domain, many skilled craftsmen in sword-polishing techniques were active, and a distribution network emerged in which celebrated swords by master smiths from across the nation were polished in Sanuki. Throughout the Edo period, the Takamatsu Matsudaira house amassed and preserved numerous famous swords; portions of this collection are currently housed in museums in Shikoku. In Shikoku and the Chugoku region, Bizen Province was known as one of Japan's premier sword-producing regions, and its sword culture exerted influence on surrounding areas. Sanuki, also the stage of the Genpei Wars exemplified by the Battle of Yashima, is a land with deep historical connections through its martial heritage.
Highlights
- Seawater moat (Japan's Three Great Sea Castles) — unique tidal moat connected directly to the Seto Inland Sea
- Hiunkan palace and daimyō garden (nationally designated scenic site)
- Tsukimi turret, Minato gate, and connecting turret (Important Cultural Properties)
- Castle tower platform — tower reconstruction plans underway
- Yashima — site of the famous Genpei War Battle of Yashima
* Opening hours and admission fees are subject to change. Please check the official website before visiting.