Overview

Toki-Takayama Castle was a medieval mountain castle built atop a 181-meter peak overlooking the Toki River in Takayama, Tokitsu-cho, Toki City, Gifu Prefecture. It is said to have been built during the Ryakuo era (1338–1342) by Takayama Hideyori (Iga-no-kami) of the Toki clan, and is counted among the sites associated with the origin of the Mino Genji Toki clan. It is designated a Toki City Cultural Property (Historic Site).

From the Takayama to the Hirai Clan

The castle served as the seat of the Takayama clan for five generations beginning with Hideyori, but the line died out for lack of an heir. It then passed through the hands of the Toki clan before, around 1556, Hirai Mitsuyuki was installed as castle lord on the order of Takeda Shingen; his son Tanomo later succeeded him.

Conflict during the Oda–Toyotomi Period

Because the castle lay on the border between the spheres of Oda Nobunaga and the Takeda under Shingen and his son Katsuyori, it was repeatedly fought over. After the Honno-ji Incident of 1582, Hirai Tanomo resisted Mori Nagayoshi, lord of Kanayama Castle, who was pacifying the Tono region, and was defeated; the castle then came under Mori control.

The Battle of Sekigahara and Abandonment

After the Mori, the castle passed to Tamaru Naomasa, lord of Iwamura Castle. In the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Naomasa's forces, aligned with the Western Army, held the castle but fell to an attack by Tsumagi Ieyori of the Eastern Army. The castle then passed to the Tsumagi clan but was abandoned in 1615 under the One Castle per Province edict.

Structure and Present Condition

Built entirely of mudstone with cliffs on three sides forming a natural stronghold, the castle had an outer bailey, second bailey, main bailey, and third bailey, and a roughly 3-meter-high earthen platform believed to be a turret base survives. A reconstructed watchtower now offers a view over Toki City, and in 2016 the surrounding area was developed by Gifu Prefecture as an environmental conservation model forest called "Toki-Takayama Castle Ruins Forest," planted with about 200 weeping plum trees and 350 flowering peach trees, with autumn foliage illumination held each year.

Connection to Takayama-juku

At the foot of the castle lies Takayama-juku, a post town that flourished on the Shimo-kaido road from the Edo through Meiji periods, bustling with pilgrims bound for Zenko-ji and Ise Shrine as well as goods transport. Masugata road remains survive north of Nangu Shrine.

Toki City Designated Cultural Property (Historic Site)岐阜県

Toki-Takayama Castle

土岐高山城

Lord

The Takayama clan (5 generations from Takayama Hideyori); Hirai Mitsuyuki and Tanomo; Mori Nagayoshi; Tamaru Naomasa; the Tsumagi clan

Era

Nanboku-cho period (built during the Ryakuo era, 1338–1342) to early Edo period (abandoned 1615)

Designation

Toki City Designated Cultural Property (Historic Site)

Location

Takayama, Tokitsu-cho, Toki, Gifu Prefecture

Access

Near 485 Takayama, Tokitsu-cho, Toki, Gifu Prefecture

Toki-Takayama Castle is a historic castle in 岐阜県 dating from the Nanboku-cho period (built during the Ryakuo era, 1338–1342) to early Edo period (abandoned 1615), whose lord was The Takayama clan (5 generations from Takayama Hideyori); Hirai Mitsuyuki and Tanomo; Mori Nagayoshi; Tamaru Naomasa; the Tsumagi clan.