Shiroishi Castle
Encyclopedia
Shiroishi, Miyagi
is a city located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 37,432 and a population density of 131 persons per km². The total area is 286.47 km².The city was founded on April 1, 1954.-Notable locations:...
, within what was Mutsu Province
Mutsu Province
was an old province of Japan in the area of Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate and Aomori prefecture and the municipalities of Kazuno and Kosaka in Akita Prefecture...
. It was the castle of the Katakura clan
Katakura clan
The is a Japanese family which claims its descent from Fujiwara no Toshihito by way of Katō Kagekado. The family entered Mutsu Province in the 14th century as subordinates of the Ōsaki clan. However, in 1532, they became retainers of the Date clan, and remained so until 1872. In the Sengoku era,...
, which was a family of retainers serving the Date clan of Sendai. It was also the headquarters of the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei
Ouetsu Reppan Domei
-External links:**...
in 1868.
Sengoku Era
In 1591, during the late Azuchi-Momoyama era, the castle was held as an outpost by the Gamō clanGamo clan
The was a Japanese clan which claimed descent from the Fujiwara clan.-References:*...
, ruled by the senior retainer Gamō Satonari. It was during the rule of the Gamō clan that Shiroishi became a full-fledged castle. In 1598, when the Uesugi replaced the Gamō in the region, the castle was given to Amakasu Kagetsugu.
Edo Era
Beginning in 1600, the castle and its environs were located in the Sendai DomainSendai Domain
was a Japanese domain of the Edo period. Most of its holdings were contiguous, covering all of modern-day Miyagi Prefecture, small portions of southern Iwate Prefecture, and a portion of northeastern Fukushima Prefecture. The domain's capital, and the ruling family's castle, were located in what...
. From 1600 onward, Shiroishi Castle was ruled by the Katakura clan
Katakura clan
The is a Japanese family which claims its descent from Fujiwara no Toshihito by way of Katō Kagekado. The family entered Mutsu Province in the 14th century as subordinates of the Ōsaki clan. However, in 1532, they became retainers of the Date clan, and remained so until 1872. In the Sengoku era,...
, who were retainers of the Date clan of Sendai. It was also one of the exceptions to the Tokugawa shogunate's rule of one castle per domain.
Boshin War
The castle was the meeting place for the delegates of the northern domains in early 1868, during the Boshin WarBoshin War
The was a civil war in Japan, fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and those seeking to return political power to the imperial court....
. It then became the headquarters of the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei
Ouetsu Reppan Domei
-External links:**...
. The castle was then occupied by the Imperial Japanese Army. It was briefly placed in the care of the Nanbu clan
Nanbu clan
The ' was a Japanese samurai clan originating in northern Japan, specifically Mutsu Province . The Nanbu claimed descent from the Minamoto clan, and its members first enter the historical record as residents of Kai Province during the Kamakura period. The clan later moved to Mutsu...
of Morioka, but was demolished in 1875. The Katakura family and its retainers then went north and settled in Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
.