* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Tatsuoka Castle
龍岡城
Tatsuoka Castle is a historic castle in Chūbu dating from the Completed in 1867 (Keiō 3), a late-period castle built during the Bakumatsu era, whose lord was Matsudaira Noritane (Ōgū Matsudaira clan).
Overview
Tatsuoka Castle (龍岡城) is located in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture and is one of only two star fortress citadels (goryōkaku-style) in Japan, completed in 1867 (Keiō 3) during the Bakumatsu period—the other being Hakodate's Goryōkaku. Designed after Western star-shaped fortifications, this castle represented an advanced construction method incorporating cannon-era military technology in late-Edo Japan. However, shortly after its completion, the Meiji Restoration arrived, and the castle never saw actual combat before this chapter of history closed.
The castle's construction was ordered by Matsudaira Noritane, daimyō of the Shinano Tanoguchi domain (later Ryūoka domain) of the Ōgū Matsudaira clan. Noritane studied Dutch learning in Nagasaki and was an enlightened daimyō well-versed in Western military technology, serving as head of the Bakufu's Military Affairs Bureau (responsible for military reforms). He decided to construct a star-shaped fortress with design principles similar to Goryōkaku in the mountainous regions of Shinano, beginning construction in 1864 (Genji 1) and completing it in 1867.
Tatsuoka Castle's design features a five-pointed star-shaped fortress with bastions at each vertex, positioned to eliminate blind spots. Within the moat-encircled main enclosure stands the garrison residence, featuring a blend of Western and Japanese architectural styles that creates a unique spatial character. Today designated as a National Historic Site under the name 'Tatsuoka Castle Goryōkaku,' the Odaidokoro remains the sole surviving structure from the original complex.
While Hakodate's Goryōkaku is more famous, Shinano's Tatsuoka Castle, though smaller, holds high historical value as one of only two star fortress citadels in Japan. The visionary foresight of Matsudaira Noritane in introducing Western military technology during the tumultuous Bakumatsu era, combined with the transient fate of a castle built for defense yet never seeing battle before the modern age arrived, invites visitors to reflect deeply on late-Edo history.
Each year from mid-April to early May, cherry blossoms bloom magnificently at the castle site, making it one of Nagano Prefecture's premier hanami-viewing destinations. Located in the Tanoguchi district of Saku City, it is a tourist destination where visitors can experience history amid the crisp alpine air.
Connection to Swords
The connection between Tatsuoka Castle and swords is deeply rooted in the Bakumatsu era's transition from swords to guns. Matsudaira Noritane studied Western military systems and was a daimyō with modern military ideology that prioritized rifles and cannons over swords, yet for samurai of the Bakumatsu period, Japanese blades continued to hold spiritual and ceremonial significance. The year Tatsuoka Castle was completed, Keiō 3 (1867), was when Tokugawa Yoshinobu performed the Return of Power to the Emperor (Taisei Hōkan), and the end of the age of swords was imminent. In the Boshin War the following year (1868), battles mixing firearms and swords unfolded in various places during this transitional period. The Western military system Matsudaira Noritane sought to establish was precisely what promoted the shift from swords to rifles. Shinano (Nagano) has a tradition of swordsmiths called "Shinano-mono" (Shinano-forged blades), and in the Saku region surrounding Tatsuoka Castle, sword culture was also deeply rooted. After the Sword Abolition Edict (Haitorei) of 1876, samurai swords changed their positioning to art objects and family treasures, and former samurai near Tatsuoka Castle also carefully preserved their ancestral blades. After the Meiji Restoration, Matsudaira Noritane (Ōgū Tsunetsugu, Ōgū Matsudaira clan) served as President of the Order of Merit Bureau and other positions, participated in establishing Japan's modern honors system, was ultimately elevated to the rank of Count, and also contributed to the foundation of Japan's cultural property protection.
Highlights
- One of only two star fortress citadels in Japan—a rare castle standing alongside Hakodate's Goryōkaku, with only two examples nationwide
- Matsudaira Noritane's visionary leadership—a progressive late-Edo daimyō who implemented Western military technology in the mountains of Shinano
- The Odaidokoro (surviving structure)—the sole remaining building within the castle, a precious relic of late-Edo architecture
- A late-period Bakumatsu castle—completed in 1867 (Keiō 3), one of the final castles built just before the Meiji Restoration
- Tatsuoka Castle Goryōkaku (National Historic Site)—its clear five-pointed star shape visible from above, embodying the irony of history
- Spring cherry blossoms—spectacular views of blossoms blooming along the stone walls and moats from late April to early May
* Opening hours and admission fees are subject to change. Please check the official website before visiting.