* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Takato Castle
高遠城
Takato Castle is a historic castle in Chūbu dating from the Built around 1533 (Tenbun era), whose lord was Takeda Shingen / Hoshina Masayuki.
Overview
About the Castle
Takato Castle, built on a riverside terrace surrounded by the Mibu River and Fujisawa River in Ina City, Nagano Prefecture, was a plains-mountain castle (hirayamajiro) that Takeda Shingen improved and developed as an important strategic fortress for controlling Ina Valley. It is said to have been constructed around the Tenbun era (1532–1555) by the Takao clan, a branch of the Suwa clan. In Tenbun 14 (1545), Takeda Shingen defeated Takao Yoritsugu and incorporated the castle into Takeda territory. Shingen refurbished Takato Castle to serve as the political and military center of Ina Valley, and in Tensho 9 (1581), Takeda Katsuyori appointed his younger brother Nishina Morinobu as castle lord to strengthen its defenses.
The Takeda Clan's Final Battle
In March of Tensho 10 (1582), during the great assault on the Takeda by Oda Nobunaga (the Koshu Campaign), Takato Castle became the stage for the final siege battle upon which the Takeda clan's survival depended. Castle lord Nishina Morinobu, commanding fewer than 3,000 troops, confronted Oda's overwhelming army of more than 50,000. After a day of intense combat, all defenders were killed in action or took their own lives in a heroic final stand. This battle has been passed down as a historic event symbolizing the samurai spirit of "death defense," and the steadfast fighting spirit displayed by the castle's defenders continues to inspire generations to come. The expression "Takato Castle's flowers are blood-dyed cherry blossoms" is also said to derive from this fierce battle.
A Castle of Cherry Blossoms
Today, the Takato Castle ruins are known throughout Japan as a celebrated cherry blossom site, called "the Number One Cherry Blossoms Under Heaven." Approximately 1,500 Kohigan cherry trees bloom splendidly in early April, and the sight of their deep pink blossoms interwoven with the mountain castle's stone walls creates a spectacular landscape that draws countless flower-viewing visitors each year. It is said that seedlings of Takato's cherry trees spread nationwide during the Edo period through the Tokugawa Three Houses (Owari, Kii, and Mito), and played a role in establishing Tokyo's cherry blossom culture.
Hoshina Masayuki and Sword Culture
After the fall of the Takeda clan, Takato Castle was occupied by retainers of the Oda and Tokugawa families, and subsequently until the end of the Edo period, the Hoshina clan and later a Tokugawa branch family served as castle lords. Most notably, Hoshina Masayuki (later Matsudaira Masayuki) was the half-brother of the third shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu. He was a distinguished ruler who served successively as lord of Takato Domain, Yamagata Domain, and finally Aizu Domain. Masayuki deeply respected the samurai culture of Ina Valley, which was connected to the Takeda clan, and possessed profound understanding of martial arts and swordcraft.
Shinshu Sword Smiths
Shinano Province (Nagano Prefecture), where Takato Castle is located, is renowned as a production center of "Shinshu swords." From the medieval period through the early modern era, many master sword smiths were active, particularly in Ina Valley. Renowned Shinshu smiths include such masters as Shinano-no-kami Kunisada and Shinshū-jū Yukishige. Operating under the auspices of the Takeda clan, they continued to produce practical combat swords. Shinano swords, while influenced by the Soshu and Mino traditions, developed their own distinctive style that met the practical demands of mountain-region warriors.
Connection to Swords
Takato Castle's connection to swords is built upon two pillars: the military culture of Takeda Shingen and the sword-making tradition of the Ina Valley. As one of the Sengoku period's greatest warriors, Takeda Shingen possessed outstanding judgment in the collection and use of practical combat swords. Among the swords Shingen owned, the field sword "Raiku Kunaga" (Important Cultural Property; now in the Shingen Treasure Museum) is renowned, and it is said that among the blades dedicated to Suwa Grand Shrine, some bear connection to Shingen's legacy. The swords used by Takato Castle's final lord, Nishina Morinobu, during the siege battle of Tenshō 10 (1582) are presumed to have been of the highest standard as actual combat swords of the Takeda family. The blades wielded by Morinobu and the castle garrison when they died or committed suicide as the castle fell symbolize the nature of actual combat swords during the Sengoku period. The Ina Valley (southern Shinano including Takato) possesses records of independent sword-making activity, and in the Suwa-Ina region, swords known as "Shinshu swords" were produced. Suwa Grand Shrine (both Upper and Lower Shrine) includes numerous swords spanning from ancient to early modern periods among its sacred treasures, and the relationship between Takato Castle and Suwa culture holds significance from the perspective of sword veneration. After the fall of the Takeda clan, Hoshina Masayuki entered Takato and became lord of the Aizu domain, contributing to the development of Aizu's sword culture. The spirit of Aizu's sincere sword culture can be understood as having taken root in Aizu through Hoshina Masayuki, who inherited the Takeda family's robust samurai ethos. During the Takato domain era, sword practice was encouraged among domain samurai, and the sword techniques cultivated by the warriors of Ina Valley maintained a certain influence during the Meiji period's transition to modern military systems. The Takato Town History Museum, located within Takato Castle grounds, displays swords, armor, and weapons connected to the Nishina, Takeda, and Hoshina clans, conveying the legacy of the Takeda family's final stronghold and its samurai spirit to the present day.
Highlights
- Cherry blossoms — 1,500 deep-pink Kohigan cherries in early April; 'Number One Blossoms Under Heaven'
- Takato Castle ruins park — honmaru, ninomaru, historic gates, and the iconic Ōun-bashi bridge
- Takato Town History Museum — Nishina, Takeda, and Hoshina clan swords, armor, and artifacts
- Ejima Kakomi Yashiki — reconstructed residence where Edo Castle courtesan Ejima was exiled
- River cliffs at Mibugawa confluence — the natural defenses that made Takato nearly impregnable
* Opening hours and admission fees are subject to change. Please check the official website before visiting.