Hyogo Castle: Difference between revisions
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|City=Kobe | |City=Kobe | ||
|Prefecture=Hyogo Prefecture | |Prefecture=Hyogo Prefecture | ||
|Notes= | |Notes=If you look at the photos from the excavation signboards on-site, you’ll see an incredible outline of nearly perfectly preserved stonework — easily on par with what was uncovered at Sakamoto and later designated a National Historic Site. It’s honestly a travesty that this stonework was reburied to make way for the Aeon Mall. When I visited, the mall itself was almost empty even on a Sunday afternoon — a sad trade-off for what could have been one of Hyōgo’s great visible ruins. I only wish they had left more above ground than the token fragments now on display. | ||
The real highlight of a visit to Hyōgo Castle is the Hyōgo-no-Tsu Museum (兵庫津ミュージアム), an excellent exhibition on the port’s history. It also features a beautiful reconstruction of the First Hyōgo Prefectural Office, a fascinating bridge between the Edo-period Hyōgo Jin’ya and the early Meiji government. (See my sub-album “First Prefectural Office” for details.) | |||
|History=Hyogo Castle once stood at the heart of Hyogo-tsu, the flourishing port town. This area had long been strategic — it was even the site of Fukuhara-kyo, the brief capital established by Taira no Kiyomori (1118–1181). With the Sanyodo Road running just north, Hyogo served as a vital junction linking sea and land traffic across western Japan. | |||
In 1578, during the Battle of Arioka ([[Itami Castle]]), Araki Murashige rebelled against Oda Nobunaga. After Itami fell, Murashige fled to [[Hanakuma Castle]], but Nobunaga’s general Ikeda Tsuneoki and his son Terumasa captured it the following year. Nobunaga rewarded Tsuneoki with Settsu Province, and in 1580, he built Hyogo Castle near the harbor instead of occupying Hanakuma. The Settsu Meisho Zue records, “Tsuneoki demolished Hanakuma Castle, moved its stones, and built here.” | |||
Tsuneoki governed briefly before being transferred to Ogaki Castle in 1583. Hyogo Castle then came under Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s control, with Katagiri Katsumoto stationed here. During this time it was known as Katagiri Jin’ya, and traces of a moat and a triple gate have been found in excavations. | |||
In the | In the Edo period, Hyogo remained an important diplomatic and trade port — eleven of twelve Korean embassies to Japan landed here. Later, the site became the Hyogo Jin’ya, first under the Amagasaki Domain (1617) and then directly under the shogunate from 1769. | ||
After the Meiji Restoration, the former jin’ya served as the first Hyogo Prefectural Office, but the remains were cleared by 1874 during port redevelopment and construction of the Shinkawa Canal. | |||
|Year Visited=Viewer Contributed, 2025 | |Year Visited=Viewer Contributed, 2025 | ||
|AddedJcastle=2020 | |AddedJcastle=2020 | ||
Latest revision as of 20:54, 31 October 2025
If you look at the photos from the excavation signboards on-site, you’ll see an incredible outline of nearly perfectly preserved stonework — easily on par with what was uncovered at Sakamoto and later designated a National Historic Site. It’s honestly a travesty that this stonework was reburied to m
History
Hyogo Castle once stood at the heart of Hyogo-tsu, the flourishing port town. This area had long been strategic — it was even the site of Fukuhara-kyo, the brief capital established by Taira no Kiyomori (1118–1181). With the Sanyodo Road running just north, Hyogo served as a vital junction linking sea and land traffic across western Japan.
In 1578, during the Battle of Arioka (Itami Castle), Araki Murashige rebelled against Oda Nobunaga. After Itami fell, Murashige fled to Hanakuma Castle, but Nobunaga’s general Ikeda Tsuneoki and his son Terumasa captured it the following year. Nobunaga rewarded Tsuneoki with Settsu Province, and in 1580, he built Hyogo Castle near the harbor instead of occupying Hanakuma. The Settsu Meisho Zue records, “Tsuneoki demolished Hanakuma Castle, moved its stones, and built here.”
Tsuneoki governed briefly before being transferred to Ogaki Castle in 1583. Hyogo Castle then came under Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s control, with Katagiri Katsumoto stationed here. During this time it was known as Katagiri Jin’ya, and traces of a moat and a triple gate have been found in excavations.
In the Edo period, Hyogo remained an important diplomatic and trade port — eleven of twelve Korean embassies to Japan landed here. Later, the site became the Hyogo Jin’ya, first under the Amagasaki Domain (1617) and then directly under the shogunate from 1769.
After the Meiji Restoration, the former jin’ya served as the first Hyogo Prefectural Office, but the remains were cleared by 1874 during port redevelopment and construction of the Shinkawa Canal.
Field Notes
If you look at the photos from the excavation signboards on-site, you’ll see an incredible outline of nearly perfectly preserved stonework — easily on par with what was uncovered at Sakamoto and later designated a National Historic Site. It’s honestly a travesty that this stonework was reburied to make way for the Aeon Mall. When I visited, the mall itself was almost empty even on a Sunday afternoon — a sad trade-off for what could have been one of Hyōgo’s great visible ruins. I only wish they had left more above ground than the token fragments now on display.
The real highlight of a visit to Hyōgo Castle is the Hyōgo-no-Tsu Museum (兵庫津ミュージアム), an excellent exhibition on the port’s history. It also features a beautiful reconstruction of the First Hyōgo Prefectural Office, a fascinating bridge between the Edo-period Hyōgo Jin’ya and the early Meiji government. (See my sub-album “First Prefectural Office” for details.)
More Galleries and Feature Pages
[[|120px|link=Hyogo Castle - First Prefectural Office]]
(2 photos)
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Hyogo Castle |
| Japanese Name | 兵庫城 |
| Alternate Names | Katagiri Jinya, Hyogo Jinya |
| Founder | Ikeda Tsuneoki |
| Year Founded | 1580 |
| Castle Type | Flatland |
| Castle Condition | No main keep but other buildings |
| Historical Period | Edo Period |
| Features | gates |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Hyogo Station (JR Kobe Line), walk 15 minutes. |
| Hours | Park, open any time |
| Time Required | 15 mins |
| URL | Castle Website |
| Location | Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 34.66533, 135.17269 |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2020 |
| Contributor | Andrew A |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed, 2025 |
| Admin Visits | October 11, 2025 |
