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 Ōita Prefecture.[1]
History[]
This castle was constructed by Tōdō Takatora, a local daimyō. 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 located on the top of . 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 who was a nephew of Tokugawa Ieyasu. After that, he and his descendants ruled there for the rest of the 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. The moat averages 60 meters in length and is intended to neutralize arrows. Almost all parts of the high stone wall have remain unchanged since the Edo Period. The main gate, Kurogane Main Gate (鉄御門, Kurogane-gomon), is iron-plated and flanked by turrets.
State of Reconstruction[]
Imabari Castle has remained intact only regarding the walls and moat. The remaining buildings are reconstructions, mainly fabricated from concrete. The tenshu in particular, or keep, is a modern concrete construction, only imitating the outer appearance of the original. The interior is modern and not representative of the original design. It houses several exhibitions regarding weapons, armor, writings and castle photography. Its top floor serves as viewing point over the city. The tenshu also houses the city's natural science museum.
The Kurogane-gomon and Bugu-yagura turrets have been reconstructed also with interior and a small exhibition including a model and various videos explains their function and the castle's history. Further buildings include the Yamazato-yagura and Okane-yagura turrets, which are home to the antiquity museum and local art museum.
Access[]
- Imabari Station of Yosan Line
- Imabari Castle (今治城前, Imabari-jō-mae) Bus Stop of Setouchi Bus Line
References[]
- ^ "ぐるなび出張・観光お助けナビ -中津城-". Gourmet Navigator Incorporated. 2004.
External links[]
Media related to Imabari Castle at Wikimedia Commons
Literature[]
- Benesch, Oleg and Ran Zwigenberg (2019). Japan's Castles: Citadels of Modernity in War and Peace. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 374. ISBN 9781108481946.
Coordinates: 34°03′48″N 133°00′25″E / 34.063336°N 133.006806°E
- Castles in Ehime Prefecture
- Houses completed in 1604
- Water castles
- 1604 establishments in Japan