Uto Castle

The Honmaru (main bailey) is now a public park and the other baileys are completely urbanized. The site of Ninomaru is now a municipal cemetery. A school occupies the third bailey.

History

After the Higo rebellion of 1587-1588, the Nawa clan, which stayed neutral during the conflict, was ordered to leave Uto castle at Nishiokadai. Konishi Yukinaga was put in control of the Southern half of Higo province. First he moved in the old Uto castle, but found it too constricted for a castle town. He decided to build a new castle, 500m to the east, on Shiroyama, a 13m high hill. It had 3 baileys: the honmaru in the center, the ninomaru to the west and the sannomaru to the east. There was a tenshu (donjon) of 3 levels, 5 storeys, in the honmaru.

During the Sekigahara campaign, Kato Kiyomasa was ordered to attack the castle. Konishi Yukinaga sided with the Western army and was commanding troops on the Sekigahara battlefield. He was executed after the battle and Uto castle was given to Kato Kiyomasa. He made extensive repairs to the castle, and the remnants we see today, date probably from then. He desired to retire in this castle but died in 1611, before it was finished. In 1612 the castle was abandoned.

The castle was completely razed after the Shimabara rebellion of 1637. So it could not be used as Hara Castle had been during the rebellion.

Field Notes

The Honmaru (main bailey) is now a public park and the other baileys are completely urbanized. The site of Ninomaru is now a municipal cemetery. A school occupies the third bailey.

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Gallery

• 

  Statue of Konishi Yukinaga
• 

  Small shrine on the castle hill
• 

  Stairs to the honmaru
• 

  Information board
• 

  Drawing of the castle
• 

  Honmaru, now public park
• 

  Earthen rampart
• 

  terraced baileys
• 

  Earthen rampart
• 

  Ishigaki
• 

  Ishigaki
• 

  Ishigaki
• 

  Ishigaki
• 

  Ishigaki

Castle Profile
English Name	Uto Castle
Japanese Name	宇土城
Founder	Konishi Yukinaga
Year Founded	1588
Castle Type	Hilltop
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Designations	National Historic Site, Local Historic Site
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Features	stone walls
Visitor Information
Access	2.5 km from Uto Station
Hours	Grounds are open year round
Time Required	30 min
URL	Castle Website
Location	Uto, Kumamoto Prefecture
Coordinates	32.67943, 130.6531
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2025
Contributor	Furinkazan
Admin Year Visited	Viewer Contributed

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