Tottori Castle

Tottori Castle is a hirayamajiro (hill-and-plain castle) ruin in Tottori Municipality. For those who appreciate ishigaki, this mighty ruin is a very rewarding visit. Tottorijō's epic ishigaki (stone ramparts) stand at the foot of the castle, surrounded by the moat, and at the castle summit where the

History

Yamana Nobumichi built Tottori Castle in 1545. The castle is well known for a famous attack that took place in 1581 when Hideyoshi laid siege to the castle for 200 days. After exhausting their supplies, Kikkawa Tsuneie, lord of the castle, gave up on the condition that his soldier's lives be spared. Miyabe Keijun took over the castle at this point, but was replaced by Ikeda Nagayoshi after the Battle of Sekigahara. Ikeda expanded or rebuilt much of the castle.

Field Notes

Tottori Castle is a hirayamajiro (hill-and-plain castle) ruin in Tottori Municipality. For those who appreciate ishigaki, this mighty ruin is a very rewarding visit. Tottorijō's epic ishigaki (stone ramparts) stand at the foot of the castle, surrounded by the moat, and at the castle summit where they can be seen from miles away (I could see them from Kawaharajō).

Tottorijō's most awesome feature is the Tenkyū ishigaki, a spherical shaped rampart. It is one of a kind. The trek to the summit is not trivial, but the climb is worth it for the view and the ishigaki around the honmaru (main bailey), including the tenshudai (donjon platform). The conspicuous western-style house at the foot of the castle was built by Meiji aristocrats and was the first building in Tottori to have electric lights. It now serves as a museum but I didn't have time to check it out.

The castle's main gate has since been reconstructed.

Profile updated by ART (2018; visited 2017).

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Gallery

Tenkyuu Ishigaki, restored
stone walls, moats
stone walls
stone walls
gosankai yagura stone foundation
ninomaru
stone walls
stone walls and stairs
the ido(well) of the honmaru
the remnants of the main keep foundation
a view from the Honmaru with the sand dunes afar
map
Nobori-ishigaki
sannomaru gate ruin
Yamashitanomaru ishigaki
Ninomaru gate ruin, sloping ishigaki
Tenshudai from below
Top of the mount
This is called the Jomon or Nakashikirimon gate

Castle Profile
English Name	Tottori Castle
Japanese Name	鳥取城
Alternate Names	Kyusho-jo, Kyushosan-jo
Founder	Yamana Nobumichi
Year Founded	1532
Castle Type	Mountaintop
Castle Condition	No main keep but other buildings
Designations	Top 100 Castles, Top 100 Mountaintop Castles, National Historic Site
Historical Period	Edo Period
Features	gates, stone walls
Visitor Information
Access	Tottori Sta. (San'in Line, 5 minute bus, 5 min walk; 30+ min walk to the top of the mountain and the honmaru
Hours
Time Required
URL	Castle Website
Location	Tottori, Tottori Prefecture
Coordinates	35.50743, 134.24
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2009
Contributor	ART
Admin Year Visited	Viewer Contributed

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