Tanaka Castle

Tanaka Castle(Điền trung thành,Tanaka-jō)is aJapanese castlelocated inFujieda,centralShizuoka Prefecture,Japan.At the end of theEdo period,Tanaka Castle was home to a branch of theHonda clan,daimyōofTanaka Domain.

Tanaka Castle Điền trung thành
Fujieda,Shizuoka Prefecture,Japan
Relocated Honmaru Yagura of Tanaka Castle
Tanaka Castle Điền trung thành Tanaka Castle Điền trung thành
Coordinates
Type	flatland-styleJapanese castle
Site information
Open to the public	yes
Condition	partially reconstructed
Site history
Built	1537
Built by	Imagawa clan
In use	Edo period
Demolished	1871

Site of Tanaka Castle showing circular moats

Background

Tanaka Castle is located on a hill in a marshy area in the middle of the Shida Plain, between the Seto and the Rokken rivers. Originally, theImagawa clanused the site as a small stronghold, ordering their vassals, theIsshiki clanto construct a fortification in 1537 to protect the western approaches toSunpu Castle.

However, whenSuruga Provincecame under occupation by theTakeda clanin 1570,Takeda Shingenhad the stronghold expanded to guard the western border of Suruga against the increasing strength ofTokugawa Ieyasuin neighboringTōtōmi Province,and assigned his generalYamagata Masakageas castellan. In 1572, another of Shingen's generals, Inagaki Nobuyasu, replaced Yamagata. The castle withstood an attack by Tokugawa forces in 1582, but was later surrendered after the death ofTakeda Katsuyori.

The current layout of Tanaka Castle dates from the period of Takeda rule. As there was no limitation due to geography, the fortifications consisted of three concentric circular moats, each with four gates equipped with a "maru umadashi" style gate, itself surrounded by crescent-moon shaped moats. The outer moat had a diameter of 300 meters.

History

The location of the castle on theTōkaidōhighway connectingEdowithKyotogave it considerable strategic value.

Following the establishment of theTokugawa shogunate,Tokugawa Ieyasuassigned the castle toSakai Tadatoshi,who built a small, 2-storydonjonand added a fourth moat. Subsequently, as headquarters forTanaka Domain,it changed hands many times during the earlyEdo periodthrough a succession offudai daimyōbefore coming under the control of a cadet branch of theHonda clanin 1730.

Tokugawa Ieyasu and subsequent shōgun used the castle as an occasional base forfalconryexpeditions, and it was at Tanaka Castle that Tokugawa Ieyasu is alleged to have eatentempura,just before his death.

During theBakumatsu period,in 1868 the Honda were reassigned to the newly createdNagao DomaininAwa Provincein order to make way for an expandedShizuoka Domainto be ruled by the ex-ShōgunTokugawa Yoshinobu.Tanaka Castle was assigned to one of hishatamoto,thesōjutsumasterTakahashi Deishū,but was pulled down in 1872, following theMeiji Restoration. Most of the castle area turned to schools, houses and rice fields. The current structures include remnants of the moats and stonework, as well as a largeyagura,reconstructed in 1992 to serve as a local history museum.

Literature

• De Lange, William (2021).An Encyclopedia of Japanese Castles.Groningen: Toyo Press. pp. 600 pages.ISBN978-9492722300.
• Schmorleitz, Morton S. (1974).Castles in Japan.Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle Co. pp.144–145.ISBN0-8048-1102-4.
• Motoo, Hinago (1986).Japanese Castles.Tokyo: Kodansha. p. 200 pages.ISBN0-87011-766-1.
• Mitchelhill, Jennifer (2004).Castles of the Samurai: Power and Beauty.Tokyo: Kodansha. p. 112 pages.ISBN4-7700-2954-3.
• Turnbull, Stephen (2003).Japanese Castles 1540-1640.Osprey Publishing. p.64pages.ISBN1-84176-429-9.

External links

• Tanaka Castle Jcastle Profile
• Fujieda City home page
• Photos of Tanaka Castle