Shibata Castle

This is a great little castle to visit if you're not too far away. When considering the original samurai homes, Important Cultural Properties and faithfully reconstructed yagura I gave it 4 stars. It's unfortunate that you can't go in the main keep. Take the time to visit the samurai homes about 1.5

History

In the Sengoku Period, the Shibata clan ruled over this area and were aligned with Oda Nobunaga, Naturally, that put them at odds with Uesugi Kagekatsu who defeated them in 1587. In 1598, Mizoguchi Hidekatsu founded Shibata Castle under the orders of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. It was not completed until 1654 under the third generation Mizoguchi, Mizoguchi Nobunao. In 1872 when the Meiji Government ordered the castle to be dismantled it had 11 yagura and 5 gates. Of those 16 main structures only one gate and one yagura remain today. The majority of the Ninomaru and the Honmaru baileys are now occupied by the a Self Defense Forces base. Because of that you cannot enter the three story yagura pictured above. The closest that you can get is where this picture was taken just across the moat.

The three story yagura pictured above was used as the main keep for the castle. Look closely at the roof of the castle. How many shachi do you see? Indeed, there are three. The roof of the top level is in the shape of a T with a shachi on each end. It is the only yagura in Japan with three shachi on the roof.

Field Notes

This is a great little castle to visit if you're not too far away. When considering the original samurai homes, Important Cultural Properties and faithfully reconstructed yagura I gave it 4 stars. It's unfortunate that you can't go in the main keep. Take the time to visit the samurai homes about 1.5km from the castle. They're well worth your time.

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Gallery

main keep
main keep
original ninomaru sumi yagura
Ninomaru Sumi Yagura
Inside the Ninomaru Sumiyagura
Original Omotemon Gate
Omotemon Gate
Inside the Omotemon Gate
2 yagura, moat, gate
Tatsumi Yagura
Tatsumi Yagura
Inside the Tatsumi Yagura
Stones from the Dobashimon Gate
Castle map
Ashigaru Nagaya
You can see a couple of the doors to different apartments.
Inside one of the apartments
map of the longhouse
Ishiguro home
Shimizudani Palace

Castle Profile
English Name	Shibata Castle
Japanese Name	新発田城
Alternate Names	Ayame-jo
Founder	Mizoguchi Hidekatsu
Year Founded	1598
Castle Type	Flatland
Castle Condition	Reconstructed main keep
Designations	Top 100 Castles, has Important Cultural Properties, Local Historic Site
Historical Period	Edo Period
Main Keep Structure	3 levels, 3 stories
Year Reconstructed	2004 (wood)
Artifacts	Omote Gate, Ninomaru Sumi Yagura
Features	main keep, gates, turrets, samurai homes, water moats, stone walls, walls
Visitor Information
Access	Shibata Sta. (Uetsu Line), 20 min walk
Hours	Open April1 - Nov 30
Time Required	80 mins
URL	Castle Website
Location	Shibata, Niigata Prefecture
Coordinates	37.95513, 139.32514
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2011
Contributor	Eric
Admin Year Visited	2011
Admin Visits	October 9, 2011

Nearby Samurai Homes

Ishiguro Residence

Shibata Ashigaru Nagaya

Shimizudani Palace

3.45

(11 votes)

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