Imabari Castle

Imabari Castle
今治城
Imabari, Ehime Prefecture, Japan

Imabari Castle Keep
Type Japanese castle
Site history
Built 1602-1604
Built by Tōdō Takatora
In use 1604-1873

Imabari Castle (今治城 Imabari-jō) is a Japanese castle in Imabari, Ehime, Japan. This castle is well known as one of the three Mizujiro, or "Castles on the sea", in Japan, along with Takamatsu Castle in Kagawa Prefecture and Nakatsu Castle in Oita Prefecture.[1]

History

This castle was constructed by Tōdō Takatora, a local daimyo. He collected superior knowledge and techniques for building castles from 1602 to 1604 in order to build his own castle. The original major castle to rule the area was Kokufu Castle located on the top of Mount Karako. However, Takatora thought the Kokufu Castle was not in the best place for the governance of the area, so he abolished the old castle and made a new one, Imabari Castle.

In 1635, this castle and Imabari Domain was succeeded by Matsudaira Sadafusa who is nephew of Tokugawa Ieyasu. After that, he and his descendants ruled there for Edo period.

By the order of the Meiji Government, all of the buildings associated with the castle were destroyed. And land ownership was sold to local Shinto shrine. In 1980, the Imabari City government constructed the new donjon tower in the castle.

Features

Imabari castle features a vast seawater moat, a high stone wall and a rare style of main gate.　Its moat what is average 60 meters length intended to neutralize arrows.　Almost all parts of a high stone wall remain unchanged from edo period. A main gate named Kurogane main gate (鉄御門 Kurogane-gomon) was iron-plated and enclosed with turrets.

Access

Imabari Castle is in the center right.

External links

Media related to Imabari Castle at Wikimedia Commons

References

  1. ↑ "ぐるなび出張・観光お助けナビ -中津城-". Gourmet Navigator Incorporated. 2004.

Coordinates: 34°03′48″N 133°00′25″E / 34.063336°N 133.006806°E