Nishio Castle

Nishio Castle 西尾城
Nishio, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
Reconstructed Ushitora Yagura of Nishio Castle
Type	flatland-style Japanese castle
Coordinates	Coordinates: 34°51′46″N 137°02′55″E / 34.86278°N 137.04861°E / 34.86278; 137.04861
Built	1585
Built by	Sakai Shigetada
In use	Edo period
Demolished	1872
Current owner	reconstructed 1996
Open to the public	yes

Nishio Castle (西尾城, Nishio-jō^?) is a Japanese castle located in Nishio, eastern Aichi Prefecture, Japan. At the end of the Edo period, Nishio Castle was home to the Ogyu Matsudaira, daimyō of Nishio Domain. The castle was also known as Tsuru-jō (鶴城^?), Tsuruga-jō (鶴ヶ城^?), or Saijo-jō (西条城^?).

History

Nishio Castle dates to the Muromachi period with a fortification called Saijo- jō was built by Ashikaga Yoshiuji in around 1221. The territory came under the control of the Tokugawa clan in the Sengoku period, and by order of Tokugawa Ieyasu, Sakai Shigetada rebuilt the castle in 1585 with moats, stone walls, several yagura, gates and a donjon. The castle was expanded further under Tanaka Yoshimasa, rulers of Sunpu Castle under Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

Following the establlishment of the Tokugawa shogunate, the castle became the headquarters of Nishio Domain, which changed hands many times during the Edo period.

The castle was dismantled in 1872, following the Meiji Restoration. The current structures include a large "yagura" and gate, reconstructed in 1996 to boost local tourism along with a local history museum.

Literature

• Schmorleitz, Morton S. (1974). Castles in Japan. Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle Co.. pp. 144–145. ISBN 0-8084-1102-4. 
• Motoo, Hinago (1986). Japanese Castles. Tokyo: Kodansha. p. 200 pages. ISBN 0-87011-766-1. 
• Mitchelhill, Jennifer (2004). Castles of the Samurai: Power and Beauty. Tokyo: Kodansha. p. 112 pages. ISBN 4770029543. 
• Turnbull, Stephen (2003). Japanese Castles 1540-1640. Osprey Publishing. p. 64 pages. ISBN 1841764299. 

External links

• Nishio Castle Jcastle Profile
• Official home page