Gifu Castle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gifu Castle (岐阜城) is a large castle atop Mt. Kinka. It was first built by the Nikaido Family in 1201 during the Kamakura Period.
Originally called Inabayama Castle, Gifu Castle has gone through many numbers of repairs over the course of several generations. Even though it was famous as a physically powerful castle, it was once taken over by a mere 16 men.
It is known that at one time a man by the name of Takenaka Hanbei went to the castle to visit his currently sick brother, Saito Tatsuoki. In reality, he went to the castle not to visit his brother, but to kill him. When Hanbei struck at him, Tatsuoki was very confused. He thought an enemy army had come to attack his castle. He fled from it like a coward. This is how Hanbei obtained the Inabayama Castle with relative ease.
Later on, Hanbei decided to just give back the castle to his brother Tatsuoki. But Tatsuoki had lost an immeasurable amount of reputation and honor due to his cowardly flight from the castle. When Oda Nobunaga attacked Inabayama Castle, many men under Tatsuoki defected, remembering his cowardice. After easily defeating Tatsuoki, Nobunaga seized the castle and moved his base there.
Nobunaga decided to change the castle's name from Inabayama Castle to Gifu Castle, following an example set by an Ancient Chinese Practice. Nobunaga renovated the castle into a far more impressive structure, leaving it far greater than it was before. Luis Frois, a renowned Jesuit Missionary from Portugal, was personally invited by Nobunaga to visit the castle. After a short stay in Gifu, Frois praised the castle for its extraordinary beauty.
The current Gifu Castle is a cement structure that was rebuilt in the 1950s. Visitors can access it either by hiking up one of the many trails on Mt. Kinka or by boarding a ropeway to the top of the mountain. From the observation deck of Gifu Castle, you can enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view of the surrounding area, including the Nagara River and Nagoya. At designated times throughout the year, Gifu Castle is open to night viewing, providing an awe-inspiring view of the city.
