Tamon Castle

History

In 1559, Matsunaga Hisahide, trusted advisor and lieutenant of Miyoshi Nagayoshi, became daimyo of Yamato Province. His first base was the mountaintop fortress of Shigisan Castle, but in 1562 he completed his architectural and political statement: Tamon Castle.

Yamato had long lacked a strong, centralized daimyo. Powerful temples dominated the plains, while smaller lords controlled the surrounding mountains and valleys. Hisahide, who had extensive dealings with Nara’s temples during his service under the Miyoshi, chose to confront this balance directly. He located his new seat above the ancient capital of Nara, overlooking Tōdaiji and Kōfukuji. Temple lands, including the sub-temple Myōken-ji (眉間寺), were removed to make way for the castle, sending a clear message that warrior authority now stood above religious power. From Tamon Castle, Hisahide could also survey much of the Yamato Basin and control the Kyō-kaidō, the vital route linking Kyoto and Nara.

Tamon Castle functioned not only as a fortress, but also as a diplomatic and cultural stage. Hisahide was a noted tea practitioner and collector, and gatherings at Tamon included monks, nobles, and foreign visitors, drawing on cultural and political skills he had cultivated since his earlier years at Takiyama Castle. Between 1565 and 1568, Tamon also served as a military base during conflicts with the Miyoshi Triumvirate and Tsutsui Junkei. Following victory at the Battle of Tōdaiji Daibutsuden in 1567—in which the Great Buddha Hall was accidentally destroyed by fire—Hisahide secured recognition from Oda Nobunaga as daimyo of Yamato Province.

In 1573, as penance for siding with Nobunaga’s opponents, Tamon Castle was surrendered to Oda control, with Akechi Mitsuhide installed as overseer. Nobunaga himself visited in 1574, during which he famously cut the sacred incense log Ranjatai at Tōdaiji.

Soon after, Nobunaga ordered Tamon dismantled. Its most famous structure, a four-story yagura, was transferred to Azuchi Castle; palatial halls were relocated to the Nijō Gosho in Kyoto; and stone and building materials were reused by Tsutsui Junkei at Tsutsui Castle. Tamon Castle was systematically absorbed into the emerging Oda framework, and no rival seat of power was allowed to stand alongside Azuchi Castle, completed two years later. Many scholars believe that Nobunaga drew architectural inspiration from Tamon, while the artisans responsible for roof tiles, painted interiors, and metal fittings were requisitioned to work on Azuchi itself.

Today, most of the site lies beneath Nara Wakakusa Junior High School and adjacent imperial tumuli, leaving only a sign and a large horikiri to indicate that one of the Sengoku period’s most significant castles once stood here.

Castle Innovations

At its core stood a four-story yagura, often referred to as a takayagura (high turret). Scholars widely regard this structure as a direct forerunner of the later castle keep (tenshu).

Tamon Castle is also widely regarded as the first Japanese castle to make systematic use of tiled roofs. Drawing on Nara’s long tradition of temple construction, Hisahide employed local craftsmen to produce roof tiles specifically for the castle. Excavated tiles show clear differences from contemporary temple tiles, indicating intentional adaptation rather than simple reuse. Thick white plaster (shikkui) walls further enhanced the castle’s resistance to fire and weather.

One of Tamon Castle’s most enduring legacies was the development of long, row house-like turrets built atop ramparts. This design became so closely associated with the site that it came to be known as the Tamon-yagura, a form that would later become standard in Japanese castle architecture. In this sense, the castle’s name outlived the castle itself.

In 1565, the Portuguese Jesuit Luís de Almeida visited Tamon and wrote back to Europe in astonishment. He praised the castle’s gleaming white walls and tiled roofs as something “not to be found in all of Christendom.” His letters emphasize that Tamon felt less like a fortress and more like a new kind of urban space. Contemporary records describe lavish residential halls, sliding doors adorned with gold leaf paintings, gardens, and at least two tea pavilions.

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Gallery

Display at Yamato Castle Festival (2025)
Viewed from the neighborhood
River in front of the castle

Castle Profile
English Name	Tamon Castle
Japanese Name	多聞城
Founder	Matsunaga Hisahide
Year Founded	1562
Castle Type	Hilltop
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Features	trenches
Visitor Information
Access	Kintetsu Nara
Hours
Time Required	30 mins
Location	Nara, Nara Prefecture
Coordinates	34.69437, 135.83143
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2025
Contributor	Eric
Admin Year Visited	2025

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