* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Tsuruga Castle
敦賀城
Tsuruga Castle is a historic castle in Chūbu dating from the Developed by Ōtani Yoshitsugu around 1583 (Tenshō 11); abandoned after the Battle of Sekigahara (1600), whose lord was Ōtani Yoshitsugu → Tokugawa Shogunate (Fukui Domain administration).
Overview
Tsuruga Castle was a flat castle located in Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture, built at the strategic stronghold controlling the Japan Sea trade port known since ancient times as "Tsuruga Harbor." Positioned at the innermost point of Wakasa Bay, Tsuruga was also the starting point of the "Mackerel Road" (Saba Kaidō), which connected directly to Kyoto via Lake Biwa and Ōmi. Throughout the Muromachi and Sengoku periods, the castle was repeatedly contested by various powers as a vital hub for commerce and transportation.
The person most deeply involved in the castle's development was Ōtani Yoshitsugu (吉継), a trusted advisor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. In Tenshō 17 (1589), Yoshitsugu was appointed lord of Tsuruga and oversaw the development of the castle and castle town. Though Yoshitsugu suffered from Hansen's disease (called gōbyō in that era), he was regarded with deep trust by Hideyoshi as a rare commander "worthy to lead a million men," and was beloved by his subjects for his humane governance.
At the Battle of Sekigahara in Keichō 5 (1600), Ōtani Yoshitsugu was initially pressed to join the Eastern Army (Tokugawa), but prioritizing righteousness, he joined the Western Army (Ishida Mitsunari). Yoshitsugu positioned his forces along the Hokuriku Road near the base of Mount Ibuki at Sekigahara, and despite the collapse triggered by Kobayakawa Hideaki's betrayal, he resisted to the very end and concluded his life by suicide. This tale of loyalty and martial valor was passed down throughout the Edo period, and Yoshitsugu is still highly regarded today as a "general of righteousness."
After Sekigahara, Tsuruga Castle came under Tokugawa rule and was eventually dismantled. Today, portions of the castle ruins are preserved as a city historic site, and traces of it remain in the neighborhood name Jōnai-chō. The Kehi Shrine (Kehi-jingū) in Tsuruga, revered since ancient times as the chief shrine of Echizen Province, is said to have been venerated by Ōtani Yoshitsugu.
Connection to Swords
Tsuruga Castle's connection to Japanese swords can be understood through two perspectives: the military career of its lord Ōtani Yoshitsugu and Tsuruga's dual role as a trading port. Ōtani Yoshitsugu was a military official deeply involved in the military administration of the Toyotomi regime. During the Bunroku and Keicho campaigns, he served as ship magistrate and military overseer, managing the procurement of vessels and supply operations for the Korean expeditions. While direct records of the swords he carried are sparse, it is known that Toyotomi officials favored magnificent uchi-gatana crafted by renowned smiths of Kyoto and the Kinai region—such as Horikawa Kunihiro and Echizen Yasutsugu—and Yoshitsugu likely possessed such acclaimed blades of his era. Echizen Province (Reihoku, Fukui) is widely known as a production center for swordsmiths, foremost among them Echizen Yasutsugu. Yasutsugu became an official swordsmith to Tokugawa Ieyasu and Hidetada, receiving the honor of "bestowal of the aoi-mon (hollyhock crest)." Originally, however, he was a swordsmith who refined his craft in Echizen and later developed through Tokugawa patronage. Tsuruga lies at the boundary between Echizen and Wakasa, marking the western edge of the swordsmith sphere associated with Echizen Yasutsugu. Tsuruga's function as a trading port held significance in sword circulation. Nanbanttetsu (southern barbarian iron) imported from the continent via the Japan Sea route was landed at Tsuruga and supplied to swordsmiths in Echizen and Wakasa. This continental steel possessed different properties from domestic tamahagane, and late Sengoku period smiths studied these qualities and expanded the scope of their forging techniques. Tsuruga Castle stands out in sword history both as a distribution center for materials supporting Japanese blade-making and as a castle associated with the loyal general Ōtani Yoshitsugu.
Highlights
- Tsuruga Castle ruins (city historic site) — Ōtani Yoshitsugu's stronghold, surviving stone foundations in Jōnai-chō
- Kehi Shrine (Echizen ichinomiya) — the great shrine venerated by Yoshitsugu, guardian of Tsuruga since antiquity
- Kanegasaki Castle and Shrine — National Historic Site on Tsuruga Bay, site of Oda Nobunaga's famous 1570 retreat
- Echizen Yasutsugu sword tradition — the Tokugawa shogunal smith lineage whose domain bordered Tsuruga
- Nanban iron import port — Tsuruga as the Japan Sea gateway for continental steel supplied to Echizen swordsmiths
- Mackerel Road (Saba Kaidō) origin — the Tsuruga–Kyoto trade route that carried blades, iron, and commerce
* Opening hours and admission fees are subject to change. Please check the official website before visiting.