[Castle name]
Minowa Castle
Nagano Narimasa repelled Takeda Shingen with this tough castle.
[Description]
Minowa Castle was a castle ion a hill in Misato Town, Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture. It is one of Japan’s 100 Best Castles.
It was built by Nagano Narihisa in the 9th year of the Eisho period in the middle of the Warring States period.
The Nagano family ruled the area for generations and became stronger. Kanto Kanrei Uesugi Norimasa, Kanto Kanrei, was in Kozuke Province, but he went to Uesugi Kenshin to escape from an attack of Hojo Ujiyasu.
It means Kozuke Province lost Kanto Kanrei. However, Nagano Narimasa, the head of the Nagano family, was really respected lord. So he repelled Takeda Shingen again and again.
In the 4th year of the Eiroku period (A.D.1561), Narimasa died and his son Narimori succeded him. After that, Shingen repeatedly attacked Minowa Castle. In the 9th year of the Eiroku period, it finally defeated and Narimori conducted Seppuku. Shingen regarded it as a major base to rule Kozuke Province. He sent his men Amari Nobutada and Sanada Yukitaka to manage the castle.
In the 1st year of the Genki period (A.D.1570), Naito Masatoyo got in charge of the castle. In the 3rd year of the Tensho period, Masatoyo died in the Battle of Nagashino and his son Naito Masaaki succeeded his position.
The 10th year of the Tensho period (A.D.1582), Takeda Katsuyori and Nobukatsu committed suicide in the battle of Temmoku Mountain. Kozuke Province was ruled by Takeda Katsuyori, a senior statesman of Oda Nobunaga, and he started attacking the Hojo family in Kanto. However, in the same year, Oda Nobunaga was killed by Akechi Mitsuhide at Honnoji Temple. Then Kanto fell into a chaos.
Hojo Ujimasa took advantage of this mess to get Kozuke Province. He expelled Ichimas to his home Nagashima Castle. Naito Toyotsuki in Minowa Castle joined the Hojo family.
In the 18th year of the Tensho period (A.D.1590), during Odawara Conquest, Minowa Castle surrendered to Maeda Toshi’ie and Uesugi Kagekatsu The Hojo family surrendered and Tokugawa Ieyasu got Kanto. He sent I’i Naomasa to Minowa Castle. Naomasa rebuilt it into early modern style, but in the 3rd year of the Keicho period (A.D.1598) he was moved to Takasaki Castle and abandoned Minowa Castle.
[Address,access]
370-3105 Higashi Akiya, Misato Town, Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture
[Map]
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