is a yamashiro, or mountain-castle

Japanese castle

' were fortresses composed primarily of wood and stone. They evolved from the wooden stockades of earlier centuries, and came into their best-known form in the 16th century...

, located in Hachiōji, Tokyo

Hachioji, Tokyo

is a city located in Tokyo, Japan, about 40 kilometers west of the center of the special wards of Tokyo.As of January 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 551,901 and a population density of 2,962.27/km². The total area is 186.31 km². It is the eighth largest city in the...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

.

History

Hachiōji Castle was built in the 1570s by Hojo Ujiteru

Hojo Ujiteru

' was a Japanese samurai, who was the son of Hōjō Ujiyasu and lord of Hachiōji Castle in what is now Tokyo.Ujiteru commanded a major force at the battle of Mimasetoge, where he unsuccessfully attempted to prevent Takeda Shingen from withdrawing to his home province of Kai after sieging the Hōjō's...

. It was constructed on a mountain, with many features located in strategic positions to deter an enemy force. Ujiteru left only 1,300 men behind at Hachiōji Castle when he went to help lift the Siege of Odawara (1590)

Siege of Odawara (1590)

The third ' occurred in 1590, and was the primary action in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's campaign to eliminate the Hōjō clan as a threat to his power. The months leading up to it saw hasty but major improvements in the defense of the castle, as Hideyoshi's intentions became clear...

, which had been surrounded by Toyotomi Hideyoshi

Toyotomi Hideyoshi

was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...

. Shortly thereafter, on June 23, 1590, more of Hideyoshi's forces, numbering 50,000 and led by Maeda Toshiie

Maeda Toshiie

was one of the leading generals of Oda Nobunaga following the Sengoku period of the 16th century extending to the Azuchi-Momoyama period. His father was Maeda Toshimasa. He was the fourth of seven brothers. His childhood name was "Inuchiyo" . His preferred weapon was a yari and he was known as...

 and Uesugi Kagekatsu

Uesugi Kagekatsu

was a daimyo during the Sengoku and Edo periods of Japanese history. The son of Nagao Masakage and husband of Uesugi Kenshin's elder sister, Aya-Gozen. After his father died, he was adopted by Kenshin....

, arrived to take the castle, which fell in just one day. Hideyoshi then commanded that the castle be destroyed, as he worried that it could be used against him. For years afterwards, the site remained abandoned because it was believed to be haunted.

Today

The castle now lies in ruins, although in 1990 some stone walls, a bridge across a moat, and the entrance to the lord's palace were rebuilt. The national government has constructed a tunnel for the Ken-Ō Expressway

Ken-O Expressway

The , or , is a partially completed ticket system toll expressway in Japan, owned and operated by the Central Nippon Expressway Company and East Nippon Expressway Company. In conjunction with the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line and the Bayshore Route of the Shuto Expressway, it will form a full outer ring road...

through the mountain on which the castle is located.

Literature