Japanese Castle guide in Japan castle Historical site Statue Introduction.

[Castle name]
Gifu Castle (Inabayama Castle)

Gifu Castle: Gifu Castle was a castle that the owner continued to change after Nobunaga and Nobutada Oda were killed at the incident of Honnoji temple – Part 2

[Explanation]
Based in Mino, Nobunaga continued to fight against Asai family in the Northern Omi, the Asakura family in Echizen, gradually conquered Omi, Echizen, and Kinki region, and gained control over Settsu province after conquering Honganji temple. Then he aimed to achieve the unification of the whole country, putting military commanders in various regions.

Below are the military commanders in each region.

Hokuriku region – Katsuie Shibata
Kanto region – Kazumasu Takigawa
Chugoku region – Hideyoshi Hashiba
Kinki region – Mitsuhide Akechi
Shikoku region – Nobutaka Kanbe

In 1576 Nobutada, Nobunaga’s legitimate son, became the owner of Gifu castle, and Nobunaga passed over Mino and Obari to Nobutada. Nobunaga built and moved to Azuchi Castle in Omi. But on June 2nd 1582, Nobunaga and Nobutada were murdered by Mitsuhide Akechi at the incident of Honnoji temple. Mitsuhide Akechi was then murdered by Hideyoshi Hashiba.

On June 27th of the same year, Nobutaka Kanbe received Mino province through Kiyosu conference, and he became the owner of Gifu castle and the conservator of Nobutada’s legitimate son, Sanboshi.

In April 1583, Nobutaka cooperated and raised an army with Kazumasu Takigawa, the owner of Nagashima Castle, to fight against Hideyoshi Hashiba who was becoming Tenka-bito (people who controlled the country). But Katsuie Shibata lost at the battle of Shizugatake, and Nobutaka’s older brother, Nobukatsu, had surrounded Gifu castle which led Nobutaka to surrender. After that Nobutaka was forced to Seppuku.

In May of the same year, when Tsuneoki Ikeda became the owner of Ogaki castle after receiving 130 thousand Koku from Hideyoshi, his legitimate son, Motosuke Ikeda became the owner of Gifu castle. In 1584, Tsuneoki and Motosuke Ikeda were murdered at the battle of Komaki and Nagakute (the battle between Hideyoshi Hashiba and Ieyasu Tokugawa cooperating with Nobukatsu Oda), and Gifu castle became the residence of Terumasa Ikeda, Tsuneoki’s second son.

In April 1591, Hidekatsu Toyotomi, Nobunaga’s son and Hideyoshi’s adopted son, became the owner of Gifu castle after Terumasa Ikeda due to Hideyoshi’s order. On September 9th 1592, after Hidekatsu passed away, Hidenobu Oda became the owner after receiving Gifu 130 thousand Koku. Hideyoshi was Hidenobu Oda’s conservator but he was becoming Tenka-bito at that time.

※As stated Gifu castle’s owner continued to change, but at this time it was owned by the Oda family again.

※Gifu castle is registered 39th in Japan’s 100 famous castles.

[Address,access]
18 Tenshukaku, Kinkasan, Gifu-shi, Gifu 500-0000

[Map]