Takiyama Castle (Settsu)

History

The earliest reference to Takiyama Castle dates to 1333, during the wars to restore Emperor Go-Daigo (後醍醐天皇), when it served as a fortress of Akamatsu Norimura (赤松則村). After the wars, the castle remained under Akamatsu control. It endured multiple sieges by Southern Court forces but was reputedly impregnable. As the region stabilized, it likely lost importance or was abandoned. By the early Sengoku period, Takiyama had become part of the Miyoshi sphere of influence.

In 1553 (Tenmon 22), Miyoshi Nagayoshi (三好長慶) appointed his chief general Matsunaga Hisahide (松永久秀) as castellan of Takiyama Castle and governor of lower Settsu. Rising high above the port of Kobe, Takiyama commanded key trade routes and became Hisahide’s first power base. He undertook extensive reconstruction with double horikiri (二重堀切) and early stonework, transforming it into a modern mountaintop fortress. The castle was not only a military stronghold but also an administrative and residential center, showing the beginnings of Hisahide’s refined architectural sensibilities that would later shine at Shigisan Castle and Tamon Castle. He hosted Nagayoshi for renga (連歌) poetry gatherings, Noh performances, and other cultural events—an early fusion of martial and artistic ambition.

While nominally Hisahide’s personal stronghold, he did not reside there continuously. His main residence was first at Nagayoshi’s Akutagawasan Castle and later at Shigisan Castle and Tamon Castle after becoming governor of Yamato Province. At Takiyama, daily administration and defense were handled by a select corps of retainers known as the Takiyama-shū (滝山衆).

After Nagayoshi’s death in 1564 (Eiroku 7), tensions between Hisahide and the Miyoshi Triumvirate (三好三人衆)—Nagayasu, Masayasu, and Iwanari Tomomichi—erupted into open conflict. In 1566 (Eiroku 9), the Triumvirate launched a major assault on Takiyama Castle. Despite fierce resistance from the Takiyama-shū, the fortress was eventually overwhelmed and captured.

Following Hisahide’s fall, Takiyama Castle came under the control of Araki Murashige (荒木村重), one of Oda Nobunaga’s generals in Settsu. When Murashige rebelled in 1578, the Oda army retook the castle, after which it was abandoned. It is said that stonework and some structures may have been relocated to Hanakuma Castle or Hyōgo Castle, linking Takiyama’s long history to the next generation of Settsu coastal fortifications.

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Castle Profile
English Name	Takiyama Castle (Settsu)
Japanese Name	滝山城, 瀧山城
Founder	Akamatsu Norimura; later rebuilt by Matsunaga Hisahide
Year Founded	1333; 1553
Castle Type	Mountaintop
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Features	trenches, stone walls
Visitor Information
Access
Hours
Time Required	150 mins
Location	Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture
Coordinates	34.70917, 135.18809
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2025
Contributor	Eric
Admin Year Visited	2025

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