Yasuda Castle

Architecture, patrimoine et histoire · Préfecture de Toyama

Yasuda Castle (安田城) is a flatland fortress from the late Sengoku period. It stands in the Fuchū district of Toyama, on a slight rise on the left bank of the Ida River, a tributary of the Jinzū. Its builders used the low, flood-prone land around it as a natural obstacle. In 1585, during Toyotomi Hideyoshi's campaign against Sassa Narimasa, lord of Toyama Castle, it served as a forward base and was placed under Okajima Kazuyoshi, a retainer of Maeda Toshiie. Sassa surrendered without a fight, so the castle never came under siege. It was abandoned towards the end of the 16th century. No buildings survive, but the layout is still clear: three raised enclosures called Oshiro, Koshiro and Kanetsukidō, surrounded by moats and earthen ramparts. Excavations in 1977-1978 confirmed an old plan kept in Kanazawa. The site was designated a National Historic Site in 1981, its moats were restored, and it is now a public park. A small museum nearby displays finds from the excavations.