Changes

*''Japanese:''宇和島城''(Uwajima-jou)''

*''Japanese:''宇和島城''(Uwajima-jou)''

Located in Ehime Prefecture (the historical [[Iyo province]]) in [[Shikoku]], Uwajima castle was originally known as Itajima Marukushi castle (‘Flat Board Round Skewer’ castle). During the [[Nara]] and [[Heian]] periods, the area was controlled by the Tachibana. During the [[Kamakura]] era the Saionji took control and the castle was the focus for many attacks during the [[Sengoku Jidai]]. [[Todo Takatora]], one of the leading castle construction authorities of his day, took control of the area in [[1595]] and completely rebuilt the castle. Construction began in [[1596]] and ended in [[1604]] when the tenshu was completed. Toda was transferred to [[Ise Province|Ise]] in [[1608]] and the castle was handed over to Tomita Nobutaka. The fief changed hands once again in [[1615]] when Date Hidemune was given control. The second Date lord of the castle, Munetoshi, rebuilt the castle yet again from [[1662]] to [[1671]]. The outbuildings and perimeter stone walls were redone, and the tenshu was dismantled and then rebuilt in a modified form to replace areas of rotten wood. It escaped the wholesale castle destruction of the [[Meiji]] government, but over the years most of the buildings were taken down. During World War II, the main gatehouse was destroyed when it caught fire during an American bombing raid. This left the tenshu as the only surviving structure of the castle complex.

Located in Ehime Prefecture (the historical [[Iyo province]]) in [[Shikoku]], Uwajima castle was originally known as Itajima Marukushi castle (‘Flat Board Round Skewer’ castle). During the [[Nara]] and [[Heian]] periods, the area was controlled by the Tachibana. During the [[Kamakura]] era the Saionji took control and the castle was the focus for many attacks during the [[Sengoku Jidai]]. [[Todo Takatora]], one of the leading castle construction authorities of his day, took control of the area in [[1595]] and completely rebuilt the castle. Construction began in [[1596]] and ended in [[1604]] when the tenshu was completed. Toda was transferred to [[Ise Province|Ise]] in [[1608]] and the castle was handed over to Tomita Nobutaka. The fief changed hands once again in [[1615]] when Date Hidemune was given control. The second Date lord of the castle, Munetoshi, rebuilt the castle yet again from [[1662]] to [[1671]]. The outbuildings and perimeter stone walls were redone, and the tenshu was dismantled and then rebuilt in a modified form to replace areas of rotten wood. It escaped the wholesale castle destruction of the [[Meiji]] government, but over the years most of the buildings were taken down. During World War II, the main gatehouse was destroyed when it caught fire during an American bombing raid. This left the tenshu as the only surviving structure of the castle complex.