Sunomata Castle
Encyclopedia
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...
in Ōgaki
Ogaki, Gifu
is a city located in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It was incorporated as a city on April 1, 1918. As of July 2011, the city has an estimated population of 160,999 and a total area of .Ōgaki was the final destination for the haiku poet Matsuo Bashō...
in Gifu Prefecture
Gifu Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the Chūbu region of central Japan. Its capital is the city of Gifu.Located in the center of Japan, it has long played an important part as the crossroads of Japan, connecting the east to the west through such routes as the Nakasendō...
. It was constructed 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...
, one of the generals of Oda Nobunaga
Oda Nobunaga
was the initiator of the unification of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His opus was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi...
, while they were doing a siege on Inabayama Castle
Gifu Castle
is a castle located in the city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Along with Mount Kinka and the Nagara River, it is one of the main symbols of the city.-History:Gifu Castle was first built by the Nikaidō clan between 1201 and 1204 during the Kamakura Period....
in the mid-16th century. Hideyoshi also found a secret path into the castle and they found Saitō Tatsuoki
Saito Tatsuoki
was a daimyo in Mino Province during the Sengoku period and the third generation lord of the Saitō clan. He was a son of Saitō Yoshitatsu, and a grandson of Saitō Dōsan. He was also a nephew of Oda Nobunaga's first wife, Nōhime, herself a daughter of Saitō Dōsan....
. Oda Nobunaga put him in exile as they were victorious in this war. According to legend, Sunomata Castle was built overnight. Today, it is referred to as Sunomata Ichiya Castle (墨俣一夜城 Sunomata Ichiya-jō). "Ichiya" literally means "one night." The castle tower has been reconstructed to serve as a local history museum.