Hamamatsu Castle is where Tokugawa Ieyasu spent 17 years of his life, from the age of 29 to 45.
It was from here that Ieyasu fought in the battles of Anegawa, Mikatahara and Komaki and Nagakute.
Located on the south-eastern edge of the Mikatahara Plateau in Hamamatsu, it is an early modern castle with a ladder-like fortification system leading from the tenshu (main keep) to the Honmaru, Ninomaru and Sanomaru.
Hamamatsu Castle is also known as the ‘Castle of the Rising‘, not only because Tokugawa Ieyasu took over the castle, but also because those who became lords of Hamamatsu Castle later rose through the ranks to become Roju (senior chiefs) and other positions.
Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616)
Tokugawa Ieyasu was a significant figure in Japanese history. He was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate, which unified Japan and established a long period of peace and stability known as the Edo period. Ieyasu is often praised for his strategic mind, patience, and ability to unite various clans under his rule. His policies and reforms laid the foundation for modern Japan.
| Alternate name | Castle of the Rising |
|---|---|
| Castle site | Hirayama Castle |
| Type of tenshu | Fake reinforced concrete keep |
| Form of tenshu | Watchtower type |
| Number of stories | Three stories and four floors |
| Castle configuration | Ladder style (but in Ieyasu’s time it was a continuous style) |
| First castle to be built | by Tokugawa Ieyasu |
| Date of construction of the first castle | c. 1570 |
| Warlord corps | Hamamatsu Tokugawa Warlord corp |
The keep was already lost in the early Edo period and it is not known what it really looked like, so this is a reconstruction keep, similar to a mock-up.
Hamamatsu is the place where Ieyasu, who later founded the Tokugawa Shogunate, spent his time and as such there are many legends associated with him.
The present Hamamatsu Castle is a modern fortress, renovated by the feudal lord of the Toyotomi family, Yoshiharu Horio. It is not a castle from the Ieyasu period. The remains of a moat and other structures have been discovered and the appearance of the castle in the Ieyasu period is being clarified.
Ieyasu castles were earth castles, consisting of moats and earthworks that used the natural terrain of marshlands and hills. There were no ishigaki (stone walls) or tenshu (keeps).
Ieyasu castles were earth castles, consisting of moats and earthworks that used the natural terrain of marshlands and hills. There were no stone walls or keeps.
Attractions of Hamamatsu Castle according to our own prejudices.
- The stone walls are well preserved.
- The home of Tokugawa Ieyasu in his prime.
- Easy to get to as it is located in the centre of Hamamatsu.
This article introduces the highlights of Hamamatsu Castle and the castle seal and stamps.
Structure and highlights of Hamamatsu Castle
Hamamatsu Castle is located on the southeastern edge of the Mikatahara Plateau. Deep ravines caused by the erosion of the river terraces of the Tenryu River, such as Sakusadani, Shikadani and Ikegawadani, enter the northern part of the castle, and the Tenryu River flows on the eastern side.
The present-day Tenryu River flows far to the east of Hamamatsu Castle, but when Ieyasu was in the castle, the present-day Magome River was known as the Little Tenryu.
The valley, which was deep, is now short and shallow, with more than half of it reclaimed.
The north and west sides of Hamamatsu Castle are still steep, although they have become shallower. Considering that it was even steeper then, it is clear that the terrain was quite defensive.
The former territory of Hamamatsu Castle was one of the most extensive, ranking alongside Odawara Castle, Edo Castle, Himeji Castle, Toyotomi Osaka Castle, Okazaki Castle and Yoshida Castle of the Hojo period.
Hamamatsu Castle is characterised by its enormous size, but its buildings are few and meagre in comparison!
Today, only the main castle and some of the outbuildings are preserved as the Hamamatsu Castle Park, a place of recreation and relaxation for local residents.
Ishigaki (Stone walls) of Hamamatsu Castle
The stone walls of Hamamatsu Castle are nozura dumi.
It was thought that the castle was built with stone walls during the reign of the Horio clan, but excavations have revealed stone walls from the time when Tokugawa Ieyasu was lord of the castle.
During Ieyasu’s time, the castle was not entirely walled in stone, but part of it was and the rest was conventional earth.
The stone materials used are the same as those used in Futamata Castle and Yoshida Castle in eastern Aichi Prefecture. This is because the same quartzite layers extend from Lake Okuhamana to the northwest.
Futamata Castle and Hamamatsu Castle used stone quarried from the same quarry and transported by boat.
Find the Heart Stone.
There are heart-shaped stones in the walls of Hamamatsu Castle.
The heart stones are on the keep walls, so look for them when you visit.
Even stones with distorted shapes like hearts are used in the stonewalls, as the natural stones are used in field piling without much processing.
Honmaru (Main Citadel of Hamamatsu Castle)
There is a statue of Ieyasu in his prime in the Honmaru.
The area of the Honmaru used to be large and was known as the Senjojiki.
Today, however, the eastern half of the Honmaru has been lowered, the stone walls have disappeared and some areas have been paved over.
The moat bordering Ninomaru has also been filled in.
During the Edo period, the Honmaru was used as the Shogun’s residence, so the feudal lord lived in Ninomaru (now Hamamatsu City Hall) instead of the Honmaru.
However, as the shogun no longer travelled along the Tokaido Highway after Iemitsu’s arrival in Kyoto, the Honmaru lost its importance and was eventually demolished and left empty.
This is why many early modern castles have a Ninomaru palace, but no palace in the Honmaru.
Load of this siteThe high location of the Honmaru may have been inconvenient for everyday life.
Fujimi Yagura (Tower)
As the name Fujimi Yagura suggests, on a clear day you can see Mt. Fuji on a good day. The tower was a one-storey gabled storehouse that was a tower in name only.
Usually a Fujimi tower is two or more stories high, but Hamamatsu Castle was called a Fujimi tower because it was one story high and could be seen well.
Tenshukuruwa (Tenshu bailey)
Hamamatsu Castle has a Tenshukuruwa, or tsumemaru, on a higher level than the main castle tower.
The early modern castles built by Nobunaga and Hideyoshi also had tsumemaru on a higher level than the main citadel, where the family residence Okugoden and the castle tower were located.
Tenshumon (Keep Gate)
The Tenshumon restoration project was undertaken to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Hamamatsu Castle. The keep gate is a yagura mon.
Kagamiishi (mirror stones) at the keep gate of Hamamatsu Castle.
Large stones deliberately placed on either side of the gate to show the power of the lord of the castle are called kagamiishi.
Load of this siteIt is a good thing that the mirror stones are natural stones that have not been worked in any way, just like a field wall.
Tenshu (Keep)
The keep of Hamamatsu Castle is a reconstructed keep, similar to a mock-up.
The keep was lost very early in the early Edo period, so it is not known what it really looked like.
It is thought to have been five stories high, and the current keep is only 2/3 of its original size due to budget constraints. There is extra space for the keep.
In the time of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the keep did not exist. It was during the reign of Horio Yoshiharu that the keep was built.
Today, the keep is used as a museum to show the history of Hamamatsu and Hamamatsu Castle.
Load of this siteAs it is a small museum, it takes less than an hour to visit if you take your time – 20 minutes is plenty of time to look around.
On the top floor of the keep is an observatory from which you can see the city of Hamamatsu.
- East
-
The large area is the location of Ninomaru. Just beyond are the ruins of Hikima Castle (Hikima Castle). On the far left is Mount Fuji.
- South
-
The city library at the bottom left of the crane is the ruins of Demaru. The Pacific Ocean can be seen in the distance.
- West
-
The tree-covered area is the remains of Sakusa-Kuruwa. Kuruwa named after people are rare. Lake Hamana can be seen in the distance.
- North
-
The castles of Futamata and Tobayama and the Mikatahara area should be here, but I am not sure.
Load of this siteThe approaching Takeda forces must have been visible from here.
Garden
The gardens of Hamamatsu Castle are not large.
It is a place where many maple trees are planted and the autumn leaves can be enjoyed.
Some areas represent the flow of the Tenryu River and waterfalls, but the water does not always flow.
The garden was built in a valley and the path to the garden is built at an angle on a steep cliff, which may have served as a moat in times of emergency. The structure gives the impression that it may have served as a moat in times of emergency.
Hamamatsu Castle official website
Hamamatsu Tokugawa Busyoutai Kiryu
Every Saturday and Sunday, for 40 minutes only, from 13:00 to 13:40, Shusei Daimyo Ieyasu-kun and Shusei Houshi Naotora-chan will appear on the central lawn of Hamamatsu Castle with a team of military commanders.
Photographs can be taken with them.
Hamamatsu Tokugawa Busyoutai Kiryu official website
And now, ladies and gentlemen, please join us,
Shogun Tokugawa IeyasuMore great success!
I hope I get a big promotion. I hope you get a big promotion!
Every Sunday from 12:30, if the weather is fine, you can see a demonstration by the warrior corps at Aoi Square, the former site of the ‘Dousuru Ieyasu-kan’.
The main part of the Hamamatsu Tokugawa Busyoutai’s demonstration is a Japanese drum performance.
It differentiates them from other warrior groups, which mainly sing and dance.
Load of this siteThe muscles in their arms are impressive, probably because they are beating the drums.
After the performance, Ii Naomasa and Ii Naotora appear for a photo shoot.
Demonstrations are not necessarily held every Sunday. It is best to check the official Instagram for information on the outings before going.
Load of this siteI’ve wasted countless trips there without knowing that…
Hamamatsu Castle seal, seal book and stamp locations.
The castle seal is sold at the souvenir shop in the tenshu.
There are sometimes various limited-time castle stamps for sale, but I bought the regular castle seal.
In many cases, you have to write the date of your visit on the seal yourself, but in the case of Hamamatsu Castle, they will write the date for you.
Load of this siteHoping for a successful career, I also bought a book of Hamamatsu Castle seal book.
Hamamatsu Castle stamp next to the gate of the tenshu.
The Hamamatsu Castle stamp booth is located at the second floor entrance to the tenshumon.
Hamamatsu Castle is number 148, so buy the one for ‘Sequel to the 100 Great Castles of Japan’.
Stamp books for the 100 Great Castles of Japan are sold at the souvenir shop in the castle keep.
ポチップ
Access to Hamamatsu Castle
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