Japanese Castle guide in Japan castle Historical site Statue Introduction.

[Castle name]
Kuwana Castle
Takigawa Ichimasu gained the mastery over this area because Oda Nobunaga ordered him to get Kita Ise. At the end of the Edo period, Matsudaira Sadaaki, who worked as Kyoto-Shoshidai, lived in it.

[Description]
Kuwana Castle used to stand in current Kuwana City, Mie Prefecture. It was the Domain office of Kuwana Domain.
It was built by Ito TakeZaemon in the 10th year of the Eisho period (1513)

In the 2nd year of the Tensho period, Oda Nobunaga gave this area to Takigawa Ichimasu for his achievement that he gained the mastery of Kita Ise. Later, the time of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the head of the castle changed again and again: Kobe Nobutaka, Amano Kagetoshi, Hattori Kazumasa, HitotsuYanagi Nomori, Ujiie Sadakazu, Matsudaira Ienori.

In the 5th year of the Keicho period, Tokugawa Ieyasu won the Battle of Sekigahara. He assigned Honda Tadakatsu from Otaki Castle in Kazusa to Kuwana Domain with 100000 kokus estate.

Tadakatsu developed Kuwana into a castle town and repare the castle into modern style. In the 3rd year of the Gen’na period (1617), the second head Tadamasa was transferred to Himeji Domain in Harima. Alternately, Matsudaira Sadakatsu became the head. In the 7th year of the Hoei period (1710), Matsudaira Tadamasa became the head. Since then, his family ruled it for 7 generations. Next, Matsudaira Sadanaga became the head.

This Matsudaira family ruled the castle until the end of the Edo period and the Boshin War. In addition, the last head Matsudaira Sadaaki was a Kyoto-Shosidai and saved the peace of Kyoto with his brother Matsudaira Katamori, who was the head of Aizu Domain.

The last shogun Tokugawa Yosinobu returned the right to govern Japan to the Imperial court. However, Satsuma Domain and Choshu Domain dearly wanted to defeat the shogunate. So they started the Battle of Toba Hushimi against the shogunate. The shogunate was defeated and returned to Edo. After that, the domains: Satsuma, Tyoshu, Tosa, and Hizen, which established the new government in Kyoto, started invading the eastern area of Japan.

In Kuwana Domain, which was near Kyoto, the retainers were split into an anti new government group and the other group. After all, they decided to follow the new government and surrendered to it.

The head Matsudaira Sadaaki escaped to Edo with his brother Matsudaira Katamori, the head of Aizu Domain. They fought against the new government. At that time, the most retainers who insisted on resisting the new government followed Sadaaki.

※a statue of Honda Tadakatsu in Kyuka Park

They survived the battle of Kanto and the battle of Aizu. Finary, they fought in Hakodate in Ezo. However, they surrendered with Eso Republic (a government made by people from the shogunate) Kuwana Castle is gradually rebuilt and now it is used as Kyuka Park.

[Address,access]
5-1 Yoshinomaru, Kuwana City, Mie Prefecture 511-0032

[Map]