Ōgaki Castle

Architecture, patrimoine et histoire · Préfecture de Gifu

In the heart of the city of Ōgaki, on the Nōbi Plain, Ōgaki Castle is a flatland castle (hirajiro) once protected by several rings of moats fed by the region's many springs. Its origins go back to the first half of the 16th century, at a disputed date (1500 or 1535 depending on the tradition). Its position on the routes linking eastern and western Japan made it a coveted stronghold during the Sengoku period. In 1600, on the eve of the Battle of Sekigahara, Ishida Mitsunari and the main leaders of the Western Army set up their headquarters there; after the defeat at Sekigahara, the besieged garrison eventually surrendered. From 1635, the Toda clan resided there until the end of the Edo period. Its four-storey keep, rare in Japan, designated a National Treasure in 1936, was destroyed in the air raid of 29 July 1945. The reinforced-concrete reconstruction of 1959, complemented by a turret in 1967 and a renovation of the facades in 2011 to recover the pre-war appearance, now houses a museum devoted to the history of the castle and the battle. The site, now a public park a few minutes from Ōgaki Station, retains stone walls of the main enclosure.