* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Tanagura Castle (Kamegashiro)
棚倉城（亀ヶ城）
Tanagura Castle (Kamegashiro) is a historic castle in Tōhoku dating from the Built 1624 (Kan'ei 1); fell during the 1868 Boshin War, whose lord was Naitō clan / Tachibana clan / Abe clan.
Overview
Tanagura Castle, located in Tanagura Town, Higashi-Shirakawa County, Fukushima Prefecture, is an Edo-period flatland castle (hirajiro) known by the alternate name Kamegashiro, or "Turtle Castle." In Kanei 2 (1625), Niwa Nagashige, the lord of Tanagura domain, newly constructed the castle on the site of a former residence of the Shirakawa clan. (Naitō Shōshō entered as a subsequent lord.) Successive lords including the Tachibana and Abe clans thereafter served as castellans, and it functioned as the principal castle of Tanagura domain until the end of the Edo period.
The castle's layout was a flatland castle surrounded by double water moats and earthworks, exemplifying the typical form of early modern flatland castles that remain in the Tōhoku region. The main enclosure was nearly square in shape, with double corner turrets positioned at its four corners. After the Meiji Restoration, the buildings were demolished, but the outer moats and earthworks remain in good condition and are designated as a National Historic Site.
Particularly notable in Tanagura Castle's history is the siege during the Boshin War of Keio 4 (1868). Tanagura domain, having joined the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei (alliance of northeastern domains), fought against the new government forces. However, the Tanagura forces, numerically inferior, were defeated by the new government forces' overwhelming military strength, and the castle fell. The fall of Tanagura Castle became one of the critical turning points in the course of the Boshin War in the Tōhoku region.
Today it is developed as Kamegashiro Park, with the surrounding moats and earthworks preserving the form of the castle as it was. It is also known as a celebrated cherry blossom viewing spot, and in spring it has become a tourist destination in Higashi-Shirakawa County visited by many cherry blossom enthusiasts.
Connection to Swords
Tanagura Castle's sword connection lies in its role as a stage for the Boshin War (1868) — effectively the last major battle in which samurai fought with traditional weapons. While new government forces wielded modern rifles, many Tanagura domain warriors still relied on inherited swords and spears, making this battle a vivid intersection of katana culture and modernity. Tanagura samurai carried blades from the Ōshū (northeast Japan) tradition, including works from Aizu and Sendai smiths — quality regional swords passed down through generations. After the defeat, the 1876 sword-abolition edict (Haitōrei) forced many samurai to surrender or sell their ancestral blades; some of these Tanagura-associated swords survive in local history museums and former samurai households. The castle thus marks a poignant chapter in the end of the sword-bearing era.
Highlights
- Outer moat and earthworks — well-preserved double water moat as a National Historic Site
- Kamegashiro Park cherry blossoms — Higashishirakawa's premier spring destination
- Boshin War heritage sites — remnants related to the 1868 siege of the castle
- Tanagura Town History and Folklore Museum — Tanagura domain history and Boshin War exhibits
- Classic hirajiro (flatland castle) layout — representative Tōhoku early modern castle form
- Shirakawa clan former residence site — traces of the medieval predecessor to the Edo-era castle
* Opening hours and admission fees are subject to change. Please check the official website before visiting.