| Shibata Castle 新発田城 |
|
|---|---|
| Shibata, Niigata Prefecture, Japan | |
Keep of restored Shibata Castle |
|
| Type | Azuchi-Momoyama castle |
| Built | Early Kamakura period; major expansions 1597-1654 |
| Built by | Shibata clan (original); Mizoguchi Clan |
| Construction materials |
stone, wood, plaster walls |
| In use | Early Kamakura period-1873 |
| Current condition |
The original Omote-Gate, and Ninomaru-sumi-yagura survive.Gosankai-yagura and Tatsumi-yagura reconstructed in 2004. |
| Controlled by | Shibata clan (-1587), Mizoguchi clan (1597-1873), Japan (1873-present) |
Shibata Castle (新発田城; -jō) is a castle in Shibata, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It was the government office of Shibata Clan (Shibata Han) during the Edo period.Construction of Shibata Castle was started in 1598 by the first clan leader, Mizoguchi Hidekatsu, and was completed in 1654. After that, Shibata‟s politics, economy and culture flourished. The Omote mon gate and Sumi yagura turret remain from the old days and are designated as important national properties. The wall outside the turret, called Namako kabe, is waterproof. The stone wall is made of regularly piled stones in the manner of Kirikomihagi. In recent years, requests to restore Shibata castle to its original state increased. As a result, the Tatsumi yagura turret and Sangai yagura turret were restored in 2004. Only one of the turrets is open to the public.
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