Changes

*''Founder:Oda Nobuyasu''

*''Founder:Oda Nobuyasu''

*''Year:[[1537]]''

*''Year:[[1537]]''

Inuyama castle (also known as [[Hakutei castle]]) was originally built sometime between [[1532]] and [[1555]] by the [[Oda]] family, who at the time were vassals of the [[Shiba]]. It is traditionally attributed to [[Oda Nobuyasu]]. Located in Inuyama City in Aichi prefecture (the historical [[Owari province]]) about 20 miles north of [[Nagoya castle]] on the Nobi plain, Inuyama is perched on top of a small hill at a bend in the Kisogawa and has long been a favorite of castle goers in Japan.  

Inuyama castle (also known as [[Hakutei castle]]) was originally built sometime between [[1532]] and [[1555]] by the [[Oda]] family, who at the time were vassals of the [[Shiba]]. It is traditionally attributed to [[Oda Nobuyasu]]. Located in Inuyama City in Aichi prefecture (the historical [[Owari province]]) about 20 miles north of [[Nagoya castle]] on the Nobi plain, Inuyama is perched on top of a small hill at a bend in the Kisogawa and has long been a favorite of castle goers in Japan.  

The castle took part in not one but two notable campaigns of the Sengoku period. The first was the [[Komaki-Nagakute]] campaign of 1584, which pitted [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]] against [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]]. Hideyoshi’s vassal [[Ikeda Nobuteru]], himself a former lord of Inuyama, used his knowledge of the castle’s defenses along with agents on the inside to cross the river and swampland surrounding the castle. Having bypassed this difficult terrain, Nobuteru’s troops overran the defenders (who were being commanded by a Zen priest) and the castle became Hideyoshi’s headquarters for the remainder of the campaign. Afterwards, it was given to Nobuteru and his son [[Ikeda Terumasa|Terumasa]]. The castle subsequently was passed to [[Ishikawa Sadakiyo]] after the [[Siege of Odawara]] in [[1590]].

The castle took part in not one but two notable campaigns of the Sengoku period. The first was the [[Komaki-Nagakute]] campaign of 1584, which pitted [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]] against [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]]. Hideyoshi’s vassal [[Ikeda Nobuteru]], himself a former lord of Inuyama, used his knowledge of the castle’s defenses along with agents on the inside to cross the river and swampland surrounding the castle. Having bypassed this difficult terrain, Nobuteru’s troops overran the defenders (who were being commanded by a Zen priest) and the castle became Hideyoshi’s headquarters for the remainder of the campaign. Afterwards, it was given to Nobuteru and his son [[Ikeda Terumasa|Terumasa]]. The castle subsequently was passed to [[Ishikawa Sadakiyo]] after the [[Siege of Odawara]] in [[1590]].

The restoration of the 1960’s was troublesome because many other Japanese castles were being rebuilt and restored at the time (most notably [[Himeji castle]]), causing a shortage of materials and particularly skilled workers. There was a 1/50 scale model of the tenshu built to guide the reconstruction, but poor recordkeeping, lack of knowledge, and the fact that the burden of funding the repairs was borne primarily by the Naruse rather than the government led to many shortcuts and work stoppages. In particular, the reconstruction of the ishigaki was sloppy. Stones were not replaced in their original positions, resulting in having to use mortar to hold them together.

The restoration of the 1960’s was troublesome because many other Japanese castles were being rebuilt and restored at the time (most notably [[Himeji castle]]), causing a shortage of materials and particularly skilled workers. There was a 1/50 scale model of the tenshu built to guide the reconstruction, but poor recordkeeping, lack of knowledge, and the fact that the burden of funding the repairs was borne primarily by the Naruse rather than the government led to many shortcuts and work stoppages. In particular, the reconstruction of the ishigaki was sloppy. Stones were not replaced in their original positions, resulting in having to use mortar to hold them together.

The castle was the last in Japan to be held by a private family.

The castle was the last in Japan to be held by a private family.

==References==

==References==

*Schmorleitz, Morton S ''Castles In Japan'' Tokyo:Charles E Tuttle Company Inc, 1974

*Schmorleitz, Morton S ''Castles In Japan'' Tokyo:Charles E Tuttle Company Inc, 1974

[[Category:Castles]]

[[Category:Castles]]