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Kôchi castle, in modern-day [[Kochi|Kôchi City]], the capital of [[Kochi prefecture|Kôchi prefecture]], was the seat of the [[Yamauchi clan]], lords of [[Tosa han]]. It features one of the twelve surviving [[Edo period]] ''[[tenshu]]'' (tower keeps), and one of the most complete ''honmaru'' residential/palatial structures among [[Japanese castles]].

Kôchi castle, in modern-day [[Kochi|Kôchi City]], the capital of [[Kochi prefecture|Kôchi prefecture]], was the seat of the [[Yamauchi clan]], lords of [[Tosa han]]. It features one of the twelve surviving [[Edo period]] ''[[tenshu]]'' (tower keeps), and one of only two surviving ''honmaru'' residential/palatial structures at a [[Japanese castle]], the other being at [[Kawagoe castle]].<ref name=kaitoku>Gallery labels, Kôchi Castle.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/54892139124/sizes/h/]</ref>

The castle began its life as a basic ''[[yamashiro]]'' in the mid-1300s. [[Chosokabe Motochika|Chôsokabe Motochika]] raised a larger, permanent structure in place of this in [[1588]] but soon moved his headquarters further south to [[Urado castle]]. After the Chôsokabe found themselves on the losing side of the [[battle of Sekigahara]] in [[1600]], [[Tosa province]] was given in fief to [[Yamauchi Kazutoyo]], who initially used Urado as his base, but saw a need for a larger [[jokamachi|castle town]] to center his domain, and so kept many of his retainers in [[Osaka]] and [[Edo]] while they awaited the construction of the new castle, and the larger city of Kôchi, about five miles north of Urado.

The castle began its life as a basic ''[[yamashiro]]'' in the mid-1300s. [[Chosokabe Motochika|Chôsokabe Motochika]] raised a larger, permanent structure in place of this in [[1588]] but soon moved his headquarters further south to [[Urado castle]]. After the Chôsokabe found themselves on the losing side of the [[battle of Sekigahara]] in [[1600]], [[Tosa province]] was given in fief to [[Yamauchi Kazutoyo]], who initially used Urado as his base, but saw a need for a larger [[jokamachi|castle town]] to center his domain, and so kept many of his retainers in [[Osaka]] and [[Edo]] while they awaited the construction of the new castle, and the larger city of Kôchi, about five miles north of Urado.

Kazutoyo began to rebuild the castle at Kôchi in [[1602]], enlisting both samurai and commoner/peasant labor, and removing some parts of Urado castle to construct the new castle, based on a plan by his chief building magistrate, [[Dodo Echizen]].<ref>[[Luke Roberts]], ''Mercantilism in a Japanese Domain: The Merchant Origins of Economic Nationalism in 18th-Century Tosa'', Cambridge University Press (1998), 39.</ref> The ''tenshu'' was completed in [[1603]], and construction of the complex as a whole was completed in [[1611]]. The castle was heavily damaged by an earthquake in [[1707]]. Just as repairs were being completed, the ''tenshu'' and ''honmaru'' complex were destroyed by fire in [[1712]]. Another fire in [[1727]] added further damage to the castle grounds. A major reconstruction project was begun in [[1729]], with the ''tenshu'' and a turret gate being completed in [[1747]]. Construction finished up in [[1753]]. While the castle was never tested in warfare, an invasion of sorts brought down the castle: termites damaged the ''tenshu'' to the verge of collapse in the mid-20th century and it had to be disassembled beginning in 1949. The damaged parts were replaced and reconstruction was completed in 1955.  

Kazutoyo began to rebuild the castle at Kôchi in [[1602]], enlisting both samurai and commoner/peasant labor, and removing some parts of Urado castle to construct the new castle, based on a plan by his chief building magistrate, [[Dodo Echizen]].<ref>[[Luke Roberts]], ''Mercantilism in a Japanese Domain: The Merchant Origins of Economic Nationalism in 18th-Century Tosa'', Cambridge University Press (1998), 39.</ref> The ''tenshu'' was completed in [[1603]], and construction of the complex as a whole was completed in [[1611]]. The castle was heavily damaged by an earthquake in [[1707]]. Just as repairs were being completed, the ''tenshu'' and ''honmaru'' complex were destroyed by fire in [[1712]]. Another fire in [[1727]] added further damage to the castle grounds. A major reconstruction project was begun in [[1729]], with the ''tenshu'' and a turret gate being completed in [[1747]]. Construction finished up in [[1753]].  

The castle has a typical ''[[hirayamajiro]]'' layout - the grounds consist of a ''[[honmaru]]'' located on Otakasakayama (a hill about 42 meters high), a ''[[ninomaru]]'' to the north on a lower level, and a ''[[sannomaru]]'' to the east on a slightly lower level. A ''nishinomaru'' along with residences was built at the foot of the hill. The castle featured many stone walls with zig-zagging bends and stone-dropping holes at the corners. It also had fences with spears located between the walls, pointing outwards and providing an effective deterrent to any enemy advance. The ''tenshu'' has four exterior and five interior levels and is unique among Japanese castles for having a two-level ''[[ishigaki]]'' stone base. The Kaitokukan ("Hall Of Desire For Virtue") is located next to the ''tenshu'' and served as the ''daimyô'' residence. It is one of the rare surviving ''[[shoin-zukuri|shoin]]'' style Edo period ''daimyô'' residences. Along with the ''tenshu'' and Kaitokukan, the East and West ''tamon yagura'', Kokutetsu-mon, Kurogane-mon, and Roka-mon, are other original structures on the site classified as [[Important Cultural Properties]].  

The castle has a typical ''[[hirayamajiro]]'' layout - the grounds consist of a ''[[honmaru]]'' located on Otakasakayama (a hill about 42 meters high), a ''[[ninomaru]]'' to the north on a lower level, and a ''[[sannomaru]]'' to the east on a slightly lower level. A ''nishinomaru'' along with residences was built at the foot of the hill. The castle featured many stone walls with zig-zagging bends and stone-dropping holes at the corners. It also had fences with spears located between the walls, pointing outwards and providing an effective deterrent to any enemy advance. The ''tenshu'' has four exterior and five interior levels and is unique among Japanese castles for having a two-level ''[[ishigaki]]'' stone base. The Kaitokukan ("Hall Of Desire For Virtue") is located next to the ''tenshu'' and served as the ''daimyô'' residence. It is one of the rare surviving ''[[shoin-zukuri|shoin]]'' style Edo period ''daimyô'' residences. Along with the ''tenshu'' and Kaitokukan, the East and West ''tamon yagura'', Kokutetsu-mon, Kurogane-mon, and Roka-mon, are other original structures on the site classified as [[Important Cultural Properties]].