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Gifu Castle
(Mino Province／Gifu Prefecture)
Gifu-jo's construction started during Ounin era in the Kamakura period, around 1201-1204 for militaristic purposes under Yukimasa Nikadido. It was first called Inabayama-jo.
During the Sengoku period, the Mino ruler Dosan Saito used Inabayamap-jo as his base, and expanded it. In the 23rd year of Tenmon era (1554), Dosan went into retirement, and his son Yoshitatsu took over. Yoshitatsu turned against Dosan, killing him in the 2nd year of Kouji era (1556). However, Yoshitatsu died young in the 4th year of Eiroku era (1561), leaving his son Tatsuoki to succeed him. Tatsuoki seemed to have been a bad character for a long time, as his vassals, including Hanbei Takenaka, occupied the castle temporarily to remonstrate him. However, Tatsuoki was unable to settle his country, and in the 10th year of Eiroku (1567) let the castle fall to Nobunaga Oda from Owari, escaping to another country. As such, Inabayama-jo belonged to Nobunaga Oda and the town name was changed from Iguchi to Gifu. The castle's name was also changed to Gifu-jo, and Nobunaga shifted his base to it. Nobunaga entered in the capital, Kyoto, accompanying the Shogun Yoshiaki Ashikaga from Gifu and supported the Shogun from Gifu thereafter.
Nobunaga built Azuchi-jo in the 4th year of Tensho era (1576), and moved to it as his base. Gifu-jo was succeeded by the son, Nobutada. Using Gifu-jo as his base, Nobutada unfurled harsh battles with the Takeda clan, which was a giant threat in East Mino. In the 10th year of Tensho era (1582), Nobunaga and Nobutada both died in the Honnouji battle, leaving the third son, Nobutaka, to take over Gifu-jo. However, Nobutaka allied with Katsuie Shibata to oppose Hideyoshi Hashiba, and commited suicide the next year after losing. Gifu-jo was taken over by Motosuke Ikeda, son of Hideyoshi's vassal, Tsuneoki Ikeda. Motosuke died the year after that in the battle of Komaki and Nagakute, leaving his younger brother Terumasa Ikeda to take over the castle.
In the 19th year of Tensho era (1591) Terumasa was assigned to Mikawa Yoshida, leaving Nobutada Oda's son (Nobunaga's grandchild), Hidenobu, to rule the castle. In the battle of Sekigahara, Hidenobu led the West forces to face the East at Kiso River, only to be defeated and eventually losing Gifu-jo despite clamming up in it. Ieyasu Tokugawa abandoned Gifu-jo after the battle of Sekigahara, and built Kano-jo instead, moving many structures of Gifu-jo to Kano-jo.
(2009/5/14 、2013/7/21 、2018/1/3 )
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