Tamaru Castle

Overview and Location

**Tamaru Castle** is a hillside castle located in Tamaki Town, Watarai District, Mie Prefecture, constructed on a plateau formed by the Togishita River, a tributary of the Miyagawa River, and is a strategic stronghold in southern Ise Province. The castle ruins are designated as a National Historic Site and have been selected as No. 154 in the Continued Selection of Japan's 100 Famous Castles. Currently, the ruins of the tenshu foundation, stone walls, and moats are preserved and maintained. The site is also beloved as a cherry blossom viewing destination in spring.

Founding and the Kitabatake Clan Era

Tamaru Castle's origins trace back to the Southern and Northern Courts period. Around Engen 1 (1336), it is said to have been built by Kitabatake Chikafusa and Kitabatake Akishin, military leaders of the Southern Court, as a strategic stronghold for Southern Court forces in Ise. The Kitabatake clan served as successive Ise Provincial Governors, controlling Ise, Shima, and Kii provinces, with Okōchi Castle (Matsusaka City) as their main castle, while positioning Tamaru Castle as an important secondary fortress to the south.

Akiharu, the fourth son of Kitabatake Masasato, took up residence at Tamaru Castle and established the "Tamaru clan." As a branch family of the Kitabatake, the Tamaru clan took root in southern Ise and consolidated their control of the region. Throughout the medieval period, Tamaru Castle played an important role in conflicts with neighboring clans, continuing to function as the southern wedge supporting Kitabatake dominion in Ise.

Transformation into an Early Modern Castle by the Oda Clan

When Oda Nobunaga invaded Ise in Tenshō 1 (1573), the Kitabatake clan gradually came under pressure. Eventually, Oda Nobuo, the second son of Nobunaga, was welcomed as the adopted heir to the direct line of Kitabatake Tomofusa. In Tenshō 3 (1575), Nobuo relocated his headquarters from Okōchi Castle to Tamaru Castle and initiated major renovation works.

Through this renovation, Tamaru Castle was transformed into an early modern castle featuring a three-tiered, three-story tenshu. Nozura-zumi (unmortared dry-stacked) stone walls were constructed throughout the site, embodying the most advanced castle-building techniques of the late Sengoku period. Nobuo made Tamaru Castle his base for controlling Ise's five districts and positioned it as the center of Oda clan operations in Ise. However, in Tenshō 8 (1580), a fire of unknown origin destroyed the tenshu and many other structures. Subsequently, Nobuo constructed Matsugashima Castle (Matsusaka City) near a maritime trade hub and relocated his base there, causing Tamaru Castle to temporarily lose prominence.

From Gamo Ujisato through the Toyotomi Era to the Edo Period

Following the Battle of Komaki-Nagakute in Tenshō 12 (1584), Ise came under the influence of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Gamo Ujisato took control of Matsugashima Castle. A retainer of Gamo Ujisato was placed as castellan at Tamaru Castle, and subsequently, following the Battle of Sekigahara, Tamaru Castle was incorporated as a detached holding of the Kii Domain (under Tokugawa Yorinobu).

During the Edo period, Tamaru Castle became an important administrative center for the Kii Domain, with a castellan assigned to govern Watarai District. The stone walls underwent further renovation reflecting early modern standards, marking the continued transformation from a medieval mountain fortress into an early modern castle. Following the Meiji Restoration and the Castle Abolishment Edict of 1873, nearly all structures were dismantled, though the tenshu foundation, stone walls, and moats survived in good condition.

Connection with Swords and Martial Artifacts

The relationship between Tamaru Castle and swords can be examined from two aspects: the Kitabatake clan's cultural heritage and the Oda clan's military dominance. Ise Province was renowned from ancient times as a center of sword-smithing. Under Kitabatake patronage, local sword craftsmen were active in the region. As a prominent supporter of the Southern Court, the Kitabatake valued martial prowess and regarded swords as symbols of samurai prestige.

During Oda Nobuo's renovation work in the Tenshō period, alongside the most advanced castle-building techniques of the era, substantial quantities of martial equipment and swords accumulated within the castle. Nobuo, inheriting his father Nobunaga's artistic sensibility, is reported to have shown keen interest in sword collecting. In the Tenshō 8 fire, many weapons and swords stored within the castle were lost, and these losses are deeply lamented.

Current Status and Points of Interest

Currently, Tamaru Castle Ruins function as a historic park maintained by Tamaki Town. Visitors can view the tenshu foundation, secondary citadel (ninomarū), tertiary citadel (sannomarū) stone walls, and empty moats. The relocated Fujimi Gate and the former garrison quarters (kyū-shoin) of the sannomarū are preserved both within and outside the castle grounds, allowing visitors to recall the architecture of former times. In 2017, it was designated as part of the Continued Selection of Japan's 100 Famous Castles and continues to attract castle enthusiasts throughout the year. The cherry blossom season in early April is particularly bustling, making it the center of Tamaki Town's tourism.

Transportation access is approximately 10 minutes on foot from Tamaru Station on the Kinki Nippon Railway Yamada Line. Southwest of the castle ruins stands the "Tamaki Town History and Folklore Museum," which exhibits excavated artifacts and materials related to Tamaru Castle.