Nishikawa Castle
Encyclopedia
was a branch castle of the Saigo Clan in the Mikawa
region during the Age of Warring States in Japan
. The name Nishikawa means "west river" in Japanese.
There are no extant structures on the site of the castle, though alterations to the topography, such as earthen ramparts
and a dry moat
, are readily apparent and an explanatory signboard is posted by the trail leading up to the main courtyard. Nishikawa Castle site is located in Ishimaki-Nishikawa-cho, Toyohashi city
, Aichi prefecture
.
. After four generations of conflict between the Saigo and Matsudaira
families, the Saigo were forced to surrender and give up control of northern Mikawa province
; they became loyal vassals of the Matsudaira, their samurai forces ready to fight for their one-time enemy. Although a measure of stability was probably brought to the region, it was still something of a wilderness and at a crossroads for several feuding factions that would be the scene of important battles in the decades to come. A castle in the area would have been an outpost and rallying point to guard against incursions by the Oda
, Takeda, or other clans. According to the Mikawa
Chorography
, a scolarly survey of the region written in 1740, Nishikawa Castle was built to confront the threat of the rival Makino clan
, which occupied the adjoining region in what is now the town of Toyokawa.
Nishikawa Castle was built sometime between 1532 and 1555 (the Tenbun
Period) by Saigo Kiyokazu, and served as a branch castle of the Saigo clan, while the main residence and clan headquarters was at Wachigaya Castle. As an apparent show of loyalty to the Imagawa clan
, the dominant ally of the Matsudaira, the name "Nishikawa" was created as an amalgamation of the first kanji
from Saigo (西, which can be pronounced nishi, sei, or sai) and the second kanji of Imagawa (川, pronounced kawa or gawa).
Open conflict between the Saigo and the Makino never occurred. Their mutual allegiance to the Matsudaira clan
, their participation in conflicts led by Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the pressure of external enemies may have diverted enough resources so that a hostile peace could be maintained. Although Nishikawa Castle was never attacked, it did serve as a forward command position and staging point for Saigo troops on the advent of at least two battles. In 1571, Takeda forces led by Akiyama Nobutomo
led an incursion into the area and were driven back by the Saigo, led by Saigo Yoshikatsu and troops from Nishikawa Castle, at the Battle of Takehiro.
In 1575, an army under Takeda Katsuyori
laid siege to Nagashino Castle in northern Mikawa. An ashigaru
soldier named Torii Suneemon crossed the lines of the besieging force to inform Tokugawa Ieyasu at Okazaki Castle
. Suneemon would later die for his loyalty and become a popular hero. A legend among the Saigo family asserts that during his mission, Suneemon stopped at Nishikawa Castle for a short rest before pressing on the Okazaki; however, this has not been corroborated by other sources. Whether or not the Saigo were informed of the situation in advance, it known that a combined Oda-Tokugawa army advanced into the area to meet the invading force. Troops of the Saigo clan gathered at Nishikawa Castle and issued forth to join the Tokugawa army for the decisive Battle of Nagashino
.
Following the Siege of Odawara Castle
in 1590, in which Tokugawa Ieyasu and Toyotomi Hideyoshi
defeated the rival Hōjō clan
of the east, Hideyoshi offered the newly acquired Kanto region
to Ieyasu in exchange for his five domains, which included Mikawa. Ieyasu accepted and the Saigo clan accompanied him in his transfer to the east. The lord of Nishikawa Castle, Saigo Iekazu (son of Kiyokazu), was ordered to relocate to Oyumi Castle, in Shimōsa Province (incidentally, the Makino clan was ordered to a province to the northwest in the same year ). Custody of Nishikawa Castle and its surrounding lands was passed from the Saigo to the Ogasawara clan
, but with the re-distribution of clans, Mikawa province was surrounded by vassals of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and so Nishikawa Castle ceased to be a priority military structure. In 1661, Ogasawara Naga'aki, who was responsible for administering the region, was promoted to lordship of Yoshida Castle, and Nishikawa Castle was thereafter abandoned. As with many abandoned castles, local peasantry probably plundered the site for building materials such as stones and lumber.
of Tokugawa Ieyasu
, and the most beloved of all his wives and concubines.
Lady Saigo would bear two sons by Ieyasu: Tokugawa Hidetada
(1579–1632) and Matsudaira Tadayoshi (1580–1607). Hidetada would be the second shogun
of the new Tokugawa bakufu
, and led the nation from 1605 until his retirement in 1623. Lady Saigo died on July 1, 1589 at Sunpu Castle
, aged 38 years. The cause of her sudden death was never determined. While murder was suspected at the time, and poison has been theorized as the mode, no culprit was ever identified.
s, Nishikawa is classified as a "hill-on-plains castle" (平山城). Earthen ramparts were constructed and encircle the courtyard, a dry moat was cut, and a sloping trail around the hill provides access between the courtyard and ground level. The main keep was located on top of the hill and would have overlooked smaller satellite courtyards; one was on a terraced portion of the hill, others were at ground level. The design of Nishikawa Castle therefore conformed with the classic motte-and-bailey
design of many European castles
, and as it served as the headquarters and residence of a local samurai
lord from the Mikawa branch of the Saigo family, Nishikawa Castle met all criteria of an actual castle
.
) are still discernible. Part of the hilltop is covered by a naturally growing stand of Japanese cedar trees, while a cultivated orchard of chestnut
trees grows on the rest of the level hilltop. The castle site has also become known to locals for the abundance of dogtooth violets
that grow there.
The site of Nishikawa Castle is located along Route 499 in the northern countryside of Toyohashi city
, Aichi prefecture
, near the border with Toyokawa
. Daifuku Temple (大福寺) stands next to the castle site, which is marked Shiroyama (城山) or "Castle Mountain" on some maps.
Mikawa Province
is an old province in the area that today forms the eastern half of Aichi Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Mikawa bordered on Owari, Mino, Shinano, and Tōtōmi Provinces....
region during the Age of Warring States in 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...
. The name Nishikawa means "west river" in Japanese.
There are no extant structures on the site of the castle, though alterations to the topography, such as earthen ramparts
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
and a dry moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
, are readily apparent and an explanatory signboard is posted by the trail leading up to the main courtyard. Nishikawa Castle site is located in Ishimaki-Nishikawa-cho, Toyohashi city
Toyohashi, Aichi
is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on August 1, 1906. As of January 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 383,691 and a density of 1,468.62 persons per km². The total area is . By size, Toyohashi was Aichi Prefecture's second-largest city until March 31,...
, Aichi prefecture
Aichi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region. The region of Aichi is also known as the Tōkai region. The capital is Nagoya. It is the focus of the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area.- History :...
.
History
In 1526, the Mikawa-Saigo family suffered defeat when Yamanaka Castle was stormed by the forces of Matsudaira KiyoyasuMatsudaira Kiyoyasu
was the 7th lord over the Matsudaira clan during the Sengoku period of Japan. Kiyoyasu was the grandfather of the exceedingly famous unifier of Japan, Tokugawa Ieyasu. Kiyoyasu soon gained control of the whole of the northern region of Mikawa province after the Saigo clan had surrendered after...
. After four generations of conflict between the Saigo and Matsudaira
Matsudaira clan
The was a Japanese samurai clan that claimed descent from the Minamoto clan. It first originated in and took its name from Matsudaira village, in Mikawa Province . Over the course of its history, the clan produced many branches, most of which also centered around Mikawa Province...
families, the Saigo were forced to surrender and give up control of northern Mikawa province
Mikawa Province
is an old province in the area that today forms the eastern half of Aichi Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Mikawa bordered on Owari, Mino, Shinano, and Tōtōmi Provinces....
; they became loyal vassals of the Matsudaira, their samurai forces ready to fight for their one-time enemy. Although a measure of stability was probably brought to the region, it was still something of a wilderness and at a crossroads for several feuding factions that would be the scene of important battles in the decades to come. A castle in the area would have been an outpost and rallying point to guard against incursions by the Oda
Oda clan
The was a family of Japanese daimyo who were to become an important political force in the unification of Japan in the mid-16th century. Though they had the climax of their fame under Oda Nobunaga and fell from the spotlight soon after, several branches of the family would continue on as daimyo...
, Takeda, or other clans. According to the Mikawa
Mikawa
Mikawa may refer to:Places in Japan* Mikawa Province, an old province of Japan* Mikawa, Yamagata, a town in Yamagata Prefecture* Mikawa, Ishikawa, former town in Ishikawa Prefecture* Mikawa, Kumamoto, former town in Kumamoto Prefecture...
Chorography
Chorography
Chorography is a term deriving from the writings of the ancient geographer Ptolemy, meaning the geographical description of regions...
, a scolarly survey of the region written in 1740, Nishikawa Castle was built to confront the threat of the rival Makino clan
Makino clan
The are a daimyō branch of the samurai Minamoto clan in Edo period Japan.In the Edo period, the Makino were identified as one of the fudai or insider daimyō clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa clan, in contrast with the tozama or outsider clans.-Makino clan branches:The...
, which occupied the adjoining region in what is now the town of Toyokawa.
Nishikawa Castle was built sometime between 1532 and 1555 (the Tenbun
Tenbun
, also known as Tembun or Temmon, was a after Kyōroku and before Kōji. This period spanned the years from July 1532 through October 1555. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:...
Period) by Saigo Kiyokazu, and served as a branch castle of the Saigo clan, while the main residence and clan headquarters was at Wachigaya Castle. As an apparent show of loyalty to the Imagawa clan
Imagawa clan
The was a Japanese clan that claimed descent from Emperor Seiwa . It was a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Ashikaga clan.-Origins:Ashikaga Kuniuji, grandson of Ashikaga Yoshiuji, established himself in the 13th century at Imagawa and took its name.Imagawa Norikuni received from his cousin the...
, the dominant ally of the Matsudaira, the name "Nishikawa" was created as an amalgamation of the first kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
from Saigo (西, which can be pronounced nishi, sei, or sai) and the second kanji of Imagawa (川, pronounced kawa or gawa).
Open conflict between the Saigo and the Makino never occurred. Their mutual allegiance to the Matsudaira clan
Matsudaira clan
The was a Japanese samurai clan that claimed descent from the Minamoto clan. It first originated in and took its name from Matsudaira village, in Mikawa Province . Over the course of its history, the clan produced many branches, most of which also centered around Mikawa Province...
, their participation in conflicts led by Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the pressure of external enemies may have diverted enough resources so that a hostile peace could be maintained. Although Nishikawa Castle was never attacked, it did serve as a forward command position and staging point for Saigo troops on the advent of at least two battles. In 1571, Takeda forces led by Akiyama Nobutomo
Akiyama Nobutomo
was a samurai during the Age of Warring States in Japan. He was a retainer in the service of the Takeda family who served as one of the Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen. Nobutomo also served under Shingen's son, Takeda Katsuyori.-Early career:...
led an incursion into the area and were driven back by the Saigo, led by Saigo Yoshikatsu and troops from Nishikawa Castle, at the Battle of Takehiro.
In 1575, an army under Takeda Katsuyori
Takeda Katsuyori
was a Japanese daimyo of the Sengoku Period, who was famed as the head of the Takeda clan and the successor to the legendary warlord Takeda Shingen. He was the son of Shingen by the , the daughter of Suwa Yorishige...
laid siege to Nagashino Castle in northern Mikawa. An ashigaru
Ashigaru
The Japanese ashigaru were foot-soldiers of medieval Japan. The first known reference to ashigaru was in the 1300s, but it was during the Ashikaga Shogunate-Muromachi period that the use of ashigaru became prevalent by various warring factions.-Origins:Attempts were made in Japan by the Emperor...
soldier named Torii Suneemon crossed the lines of the besieging force to inform Tokugawa Ieyasu at Okazaki Castle
Okazaki Castle
is a Japanese castle located in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. At the end of the Edo period, Okazaki Castle was home to the Honda clan, daimyō of Okazaki Domain, but the castle is better known for its association with Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Tokugawa clan...
. Suneemon would later die for his loyalty and become a popular hero. A legend among the Saigo family asserts that during his mission, Suneemon stopped at Nishikawa Castle for a short rest before pressing on the Okazaki; however, this has not been corroborated by other sources. Whether or not the Saigo were informed of the situation in advance, it known that a combined Oda-Tokugawa army advanced into the area to meet the invading force. Troops of the Saigo clan gathered at Nishikawa Castle and issued forth to join the Tokugawa army for the decisive Battle of Nagashino
Battle of Nagashino
The ' took place in 1575 near Nagashino Castle on the plain of Shitaragahara in the Mikawa province of Japan. Forces under Takeda Katsuyori had besieged the castle since the 17th of June; Okudaira Sadamasa , a Tokugawa vassal, commanded the defending force...
.
Following the Siege of Odawara Castle
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...
in 1590, in which Tokugawa Ieyasu and 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...
defeated the rival Hōjō clan
Late Hojo clan
The ' was one of the most powerful warrior clans in Japan in the Sengoku period and held domains primarily in the Kantō region.The clan is traditionally reckoned to be started by Ise Shinkurō, who came from a branch of the prestigious Ise clan, a family in the direct employment of the Ashikaga...
of the east, Hideyoshi offered the newly acquired Kanto region
Kanto region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
to Ieyasu in exchange for his five domains, which included Mikawa. Ieyasu accepted and the Saigo clan accompanied him in his transfer to the east. The lord of Nishikawa Castle, Saigo Iekazu (son of Kiyokazu), was ordered to relocate to Oyumi Castle, in Shimōsa Province (incidentally, the Makino clan was ordered to a province to the northwest in the same year ). Custody of Nishikawa Castle and its surrounding lands was passed from the Saigo to the Ogasawara clan
Ogasawara clan
The was a Japanese samurai clan descended from the Seiwa Genji. The Ogasawara acted as shugo of Shinano province in the medieval period The was a Japanese samurai clan descended from the Seiwa Genji. The Ogasawara acted as shugo (governors) of Shinano province in the medieval period The was a...
, but with the re-distribution of clans, Mikawa province was surrounded by vassals of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and so Nishikawa Castle ceased to be a priority military structure. In 1661, Ogasawara Naga'aki, who was responsible for administering the region, was promoted to lordship of Yoshida Castle, and Nishikawa Castle was thereafter abandoned. As with many abandoned castles, local peasantry probably plundered the site for building materials such as stones and lumber.
Lady Saigo
In 1562, Tozuka Masako was born at Nishikawa Castle. Her mother was the elder sister of Saigo Kiyokazu, and in time Saigo would adopt his niece, who spent her childhood at Nishikawa Castle and would eventually become known as Saigō-no-Tsubone (西郷の局) or "Lady Saigō". Also known affectionately by her nickname Oai (お愛, "Love") , Lady Saigo was the firstconsortConsort
Consort may refer to:Titles:* Queen consort, wife of a reigning king* Prince consort, husband of a reigning queen* King consort, rarely used alternative title for husband of a reigning queen...
of Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
, and the most beloved of all his wives and concubines.
Lady Saigo would bear two sons by Ieyasu: Tokugawa Hidetada
Tokugawa Hidetada
was the second shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate.-Early life :...
(1579–1632) and Matsudaira Tadayoshi (1580–1607). Hidetada would be the second shogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
of the new Tokugawa bakufu
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
, and led the nation from 1605 until his retirement in 1623. Lady Saigo died on July 1, 1589 at Sunpu Castle
Sunpu Castle
was a Japanese castle in Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan. The sobriquet of this feudal fortress was the "Castle of the Floating Isle." It was also referred to as or .-History:...
, aged 38 years. The cause of her sudden death was never determined. While murder was suspected at the time, and poison has been theorized as the mode, no culprit was ever identified.
Castle design
Nishikawa Castle was built on top of a modified natural hill. The top of the hill was levelled for use as the main courtyard (本曲輪 hon-kuruwa) at a height of 20 meters above ground level. Thus, among Japanese castleJapanese 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...
s, Nishikawa is classified as a "hill-on-plains castle" (平山城). Earthen ramparts were constructed and encircle the courtyard, a dry moat was cut, and a sloping trail around the hill provides access between the courtyard and ground level. The main keep was located on top of the hill and would have overlooked smaller satellite courtyards; one was on a terraced portion of the hill, others were at ground level. The design of Nishikawa Castle therefore conformed with the classic motte-and-bailey
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
design of many European castles
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
, and as it served as the headquarters and residence of a local samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
lord from the Mikawa branch of the Saigo family, Nishikawa Castle met all criteria of an actual castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
.
Present state
The existing site of Nishikawa Castle is mainly composed of the hilltop courtyard where the castle keep once stood. Visitors can park at the Daifuku Temple (大福寺), which is located next to the castle site, or along the shoulder of the road. An explanatory signboard marks the beginning of the sloping grass-covered path which leads around the hill to the top. Features like the dry moat, earthen ramparts, and the earthen foundation for a turret (yaguraYagura
Yagura is the Japanese word for "tower" or "turret." The word is most often seen in reference to structures within Japanese castle compounds, but can be used in a variety of other situations as well. The bandstand tower erected for Bon Festival is often called a yagura, as are similar structures...
) are still discernible. Part of the hilltop is covered by a naturally growing stand of Japanese cedar trees, while a cultivated orchard of chestnut
Japanese Chestnut
Japanese Chestnut is a species of chestnut originally native to Japan and South Korea. It is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree growing to 10-15 m tall. The leaves are similar to those of the Sweet Chestnut, though usually a little smaller, 8-19 cm long and 3-5 cm broad...
trees grows on the rest of the level hilltop. The castle site has also become known to locals for the abundance of dogtooth violets
Erythronium japonicum
Katakuri is a species of lily native to Japan, Korea and northeastern China.-Uses:Katakuri starch, or katakuriko , is a starch originally processed from the corm of katakuri. Despite having kuri , lit...
that grow there.
The site of Nishikawa Castle is located along Route 499 in the northern countryside of Toyohashi city
Toyohashi, Aichi
is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on August 1, 1906. As of January 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 383,691 and a density of 1,468.62 persons per km². The total area is . By size, Toyohashi was Aichi Prefecture's second-largest city until March 31,...
, Aichi prefecture
Aichi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region. The region of Aichi is also known as the Tōkai region. The capital is Nagoya. It is the focus of the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area.- History :...
, near the border with Toyokawa
Toyokawa, Aichi
is a medium-sized city of about 180,000 people located in the eastern part of Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The city, founded on June 1, 1943, originally comprised the three formerly independent Hoi-gun towns of Toyokawa , Ko , Ushikubo , and the village of Yawata...
. Daifuku Temple (大福寺) stands next to the castle site, which is marked Shiroyama (城山) or "Castle Mountain" on some maps.