Castles of Nara
Koriyama Castle
History of Koriyama Castle
In 1580, Tsutsui Junkei of Tsutsui Castle was granted Koriyama Castle by Oda Nobunaga. He had large rocks brought over from the now abandoned Tamon Castle, and called in carpenters from all over Nara to begin construction of the castle. It is said that Akechi Mitsuhide also came to inspect the castle’s construction at this time.
In 1585, Hidenaga, the younger brother of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, moved in and set about creating a castle befitting someone with landholdings of one million goku of rice (which is generally viewed as the equivalent of enough land to produce rice to feed one million people for a year) in Yamato Province. Large rocks were quarried from the Mizuya River at Kasuga- Taisha Shrine, and rocks that would have been used for the foundation stones of temples, five-ring pagodas, stone jizo statues, and other structures were redirected for use in the castle’s stone walls. Timbers for the castle tower were cut from Mt. Onitori. It seems that the main enclosure, Bishamon enclosure, Midori enclosure, and other compounds were built around this time. Following the death of Hidenaga, his adopted son Hideyasu also devoted himself to the construction of the castle, but he died young in 1595. Afterwards, Mashita Nagamori, one of the Five Commissioners (an administrative organ established by Toyotomi Hideyoshi) moved into the castle with land holdings of 200,000 goku of rice, and started work on the construction of the outer moat. The flow of the Akishino River was diverted to the east and fed into the Saho River, and the original river site was used for the outer moat. Using a reservoir on the west side, a moat was built along a depression on the north side. In addition, an embankment was built on the inner side of the moat.
In September 1600, the Western Army was defeated in the Battle of Sekigahara. In October of the same year, Koriyama Castle was relinquished to the Tokugawa forces, and was then demolished and transported to Fushimi Castle. The abandoned Koriyama Castle site was granted to Tsutsui Sadayoshi by Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
After the summer campaign of the Siege of Osaka in 1615, Mizuno Katsunari, a hereditary vassal of the Tokugawa, entered the ruined Koriyama Castle and began to rebuild it, including the main enclosure residence and outermost enclosure. Later, Matsudaira Tadaakira moved from Osaka Castle to Koriyama Castle, built a residence in the second enclosure, and moved the Kurogane Gate and Sakura Gate from Fushimi Castle, thus creating Koriyama Castle as it was in early modern times. The castle was then occupied by Honda Masakatsu, followed by Yanagisawa Yoshisato in 1724, and it continued to be occupied until the Meiji Restoration in 1868.
Koriyama Castle: Timeline of Key Events
- 1580
- Tsutsui Junkei enters the castle. Construction of the castle begins
- 1585
- Toyotomi Hidenaga enters the castle
- 1600
- The castle is abandoned after the Battle of Sekigahara
- 1615
- Mizuno Katsunari begins work on restoring the castle
- 1724
- Yanagisawa Yoshisato becomes lord of the castle
- 1961
- The Site of Koriyama Castle becomes a Designated Cultural Property of Nara Prefecture
- 1983
- The Otemon Gate is restored through the activities of citizens. In 1984, the Ote East Corner Turret and Tamon Turret were restored, followed in 1987 by the Ote Mukai Turret
- 1990
- Koriyama Castle and its 800 cherry trees are selected as one of the 100 Best Cherry Blossom Viewing Spots in Japan
- 2013
- Restoration of the stonewalls of the castle tower and construction work for an observation deck commences, and both are completed in 2017
- 2017
- On April 6 (Castle Day), Koriyama Castle is selected as one of the Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles.
Reconstruction of the Gokurakubashi Bridge and renovation work on the Shirasawamon Turret stonewalls begins through donations from citizens
Koriyama Castle Trivia
Secret passages of Inubuse Castle
From a distance, Koriyama Castle resembles a dog lying down, which is why it is also known as Inubuse Castle. The castle is said to have had two secret passages, one leading to Konoshima (Nara City) and the other to the Togawa (Yamatokoriyama City).
Benkei’s footprints
The remains of the Koriyama Castle Sakura Gate can be seen on the north side of the five residences for the chief retainer in the outermost enclosure. On the south side of the gate, there is a rock with large indentations in the stone wall, which are said to be the footprints of the famous warrior monk Benkei.
Highlights of Koriyama Castle
Guides
At Koriyama Castle, guides are on hand to explain the castle’s history and its stone walls and show visitors around free of charge. These guides are available on Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays, from 10 am to 4 pm (until 3 pm in winter). If you see a member of staff in a blue jumper, please feel free to ask for them for assistance.
What Does Koriyama Castle Mean to the Local Community?
Venue for festivals
From late March to early April, the Yamato Koriyama Castle Festival is held at the Site of Koriyama Castle. A range of old traditions and historic events take place at the same time. These include the Castle Festival, which is held in conjunction with the cherry blossom season; the Juzukuri Memorial Service, held on the castle tower to comfort the spirits of stones (stone Buddhas and gravestones) diverted for use in the stone wall; the Goldfish Fair, which has been held in front of Yanagisawa-jinja Shrine since 1906; and the Byakko Togyo, a parade which makes its way through the castle town to the tune of festival music, a tradition since the early Showa period. The festival is also enlivened by a citizens’ parade, the lighting up of the castle tower, and bonbori lanterns throughout the castle grounds.
Events Related to Koriyama Castle
In addition to Yamato Koriyama Castle Festival, there is also the Plum Bonsai Festival and the Oyako Festival.
The Plum Bonsai Festival is held from early February to late March at the Otemon Gate, Ote Mukai Turret, and Tamon Turret. This event has been staged annually since 2004 to herald the coming of spring to Yamatokoriyama City. About 120 pots of plum bonsai trees grown with great care by enthusiasts in Yamatokoriyama City are displayed amid the castle turrets, once used as facilities for watching over and defending Koriyama Castle.
The Oyako Festival is held on November 3 (Culture Day) at the Site of Koriyama Castle with the aim of providing fun for the whole family. At the site of the Umaya Kuruwa, or horse compound, each year an event is held with a different theme, as well as other annual events including a petting zoo, mini steam locomotive, and puppet shows. In addition, processions make their way through the castle, featuring performances by brass bands from the city’s junior high schools, martial arts demonstrations, dances, and more. Craft booths, stage performances, and stalls lined up along the inner moat make this a fun festival that offers much more than you can possibly fit into a single day.
