| Mito Castle | |
|---|---|
水戸城 | |
| Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan | |
 Mito Castle moat | |
  Mito Castle  Mito Castle | |
| Coordinates | 36°22′22″N140°28′42″E / 36.3728°N 140.4783°E |
| Type | Japanese castle |
| Site information | |
| Condition | Ruins |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1214 |
| Built by | Baba Sukemoto |
| In use | 1214 to 1874 |
| Demolished | 1874 |
Mito Castle was a 12th-century Japanese castle with an extensive history, now in ruins, located in what was Hitachi Province. [1] The castle ruins are located in the city of Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.
The castle was originally constructed in 1214 by Baba Sukemoto. This clan continued the rule of the castle, until it was taken in 1416 by Edo Michifusa. It was originally named Baba castle, however after it was taken by the Edo clan, it was expanded and given its present name.
During the Edo Era the castle was held by the Mito branch of the Tokugawa clan, one of the Gosanke, three branch families of the Tokugawa that could provide an heir if necessary. The Mito branch was founded by Yorifusa Tokugawa, the 11th son of Ieyasu Tokugawa, the first Tokugawa shōgun. The proximity of Mito to Edo meant that the Mito branch of the family was influential throughout the Edo era.
A large fire destroyed many of the buildings in 1764. The castle was decommissioned, as were many castles in Japan, during the Meiji period. [2] [1]
Little of the Castle now remains, except moats, one gate and the Kodokan, a school that was located in front of the castle. There are several modern schools located on the castle's former site, which have gates and fences done in the style of a castle.
Ibaraki Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Ibaraki Prefecture has a population of 2,828,086 and has a geographic area of 6,097.19 square kilometres. Ibaraki Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, Tochigi Prefecture to the northwest, Saitama Prefecture to the southwest, Chiba Prefecture to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the east.
Matsumoto Castle, originally known as Fukashi Castle, is one of Japan's premier historic castles, along with Himeji and Kumamoto. It was the seat of Matsumoto Domain under the Edo Period Tokugawa shogunate. It is located in the city of Matsumoto, in Nagano Prefecture.
Matsue Castle is a Japanese castle located in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture.
The Tokugawa clan is a Japanese dynasty which produced the Tokugawa shoguns who ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868 during the Edo period. It was formerly a powerful daimyō family. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa (850–880) and were a branch of the Minamoto clan through the Matsudaira clan. The early history of the clan remains a mystery. Nominally, the Matsudaira clan is said to be descended from the Nitta clan, a branch of the Minamoto clan, but the likelihood of this claim is considered quite low or untrue.
The Matsudaira clan was a Japanese samurai clan that descended from the Minamoto clan. It originated in and took its name from Matsudaira village, in Mikawa Province. During the Sengoku period, the chieftain of the main line of the Matsudaira clan, Matsudaira Motoyasu became a powerful regional daimyo under Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi and changed his name to Tokugawa Ieyasu. He subsequently seized power as the first shōgun of the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan during the Edo period until the Meiji Restoration of 1868. Under the Tokugawa shogunate, many cadet branches of the clan retained the Matsudaira surname, and numerous new branches were formed in the decades after Ieyasu. Some of those branches were also of daimyō status.
Mito was a Japanese domain of the Edo period. It was associated with Hitachi Province in modern-day Ibaraki Prefecture.
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Nihonmatsu Castle is a Japanese castle located in what is now the city of Nihonmatsu, northern Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. Throughout most of the Edo period, Nihonmatsu Castle was home to the Niwa clan, daimyō of Nihonmatsu Domain. The castle was also known as "Kasumi-ga-jō" (霞ヶ城) or "Shirahata-jō" (白旗城). The castle is one of the 100 Fine Castles of Japan, and in 2007 was designated a National Historic Site. The castle grounds are also a noted venue for viewing sakura in spring.
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Yamagata Castle is a flatland-style Japanese castle located in the center of the city of Yamagata, eastern Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. Throughout the Edo period, Yamagata Castle was the headquarters for the daimyō of Yamagata Domain. The castle was also known as "Ka-jō" (霞城). The castle grounds are protected as a National Historic Site by the Japanese government
Kasama Castle is a Japanese castle located in Kasama, central Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. At the end of the Edo period, Kasama Castle was home to a junior branch of Makino clan, daimyō of Kasama Domain, but castle and domain went through many changes in clans during the early Edo period.
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Sakura Castle was a 17th-century castle, now in ruins, in Sakura, Chiba Prefecture. It was designated one of Japan's Top 100 Castles by the Japanese Castle Foundation.
Tsuwano Castle was a Japanese castle located in what is now the city of Tsuwano, Shimane Prefecture, in the San'in region of far western Japan. Its ruins have been protected by the central government as a National Historic Site since 1942. In its early history, it was called Sanbonmatsu Castle or Ipponmatsu Castle. During the Edo Period, it was the center of Tsuwano Domain ruled by the Kamei clan; however, the administrative offices and daimyō residence were located at the base of the mountain to avoid the steep mountain paths.
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Takatō Castle is a Japanese castle located in the city of Ina, southern Nagano Prefecture, Japan. At the end of the Edo period, Takatō Castle was home to a cadet branch of the Naitō clan, daimyō of Takatō Domain. The castle was also known as Kabuto Castle. Built sometime in the 16th century, it is now largely ruins.
Takaoka Castle was a flatland-style Japanese castle in what is now the city of Takaoka, Toyama Japan. It was originally constructed in 1609, and was only used for a few years before being dismantled. The site of its ruins are now a park. The castle is designated one of Japan's Top 100 Castles by the Japanese Castle Foundation. The ruins are protected as a National Historic Site.
Yonago Castle was an Edo period Japanese castle located in the city of Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, in the San'in region of Japan. Its ruins have been protected as a National Historic Site since 2006. It was also called Kume Castle (久米城) or Minatoyama Castle (湊山城),
100 Fine Castles of Japan by region | ||
|---|---|---|
| Hokkaidō |  | |
| Tōhoku | ||
| Kantō | ||
| Chūbu | ||
| Kansai | ||
| Chūgoku | ||
| Shikoku | ||
| Kyūshū a | ||
a including Okinawa. | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
