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Takeda Castle (Tajima Province/Hyogo Prefecture)
Takeda-jo is also called Torafusu-jo and located at a strategic point to control the highway from Tanba to Tajima. During Kakitsu era (1441-1443), Mochitoyo Yamana, the governor of Tajima Province ordered his retainer, the Otagaki clan, to build this castle and the Otagaki clan took the post of ruler from generation to generation. The castle became the stage for the battle between the Tajima Yamana clan and the Harima Akamatsu clan during the Sengoku period. In the 5th year of Tensho era (1577). Hideyoshi Hashiba, Nobunada Oda's subordinate, captured Takeda-jo and assigned his younger brother, Hidenaga, to the castle as the representative ruler. In the 13th year of Tensho era (1585), Hirohide Akamatsu (also known as Masahiro Saimura) became the castle ruler. The castle with full dry stone which we can see today was completed during Keicho era, but was abandoned after Hirohide cut his stomach after the Battle of Sekigahara in the 5th year of Keicho where he allied with the western forces. The castle is located on a mountain by Maruyama river and looks grand if looked up from its foot and the view from the castle is also magnificent. You can see a castle floating in a sea of clouds in autumn.
(2008/7/27 )
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