Azuchi Castle ( 安土城 , Azuchi-jō ) was one of the primary castles of Oda Nobunaga located in the Azuchi neighborhood of the city of Ōmihachiman , Shiga Prefecture . The site of the castle was designated a National Historic Site in 1926, with the designation upgraded to that of a Special National Historic Site in 1952. The castle is located within the grounds of the Biwako Quasi-National Park .
108-432: Azuchi Castle was built from 1576 to 1579 on Mount Azuchi on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa in Ōmi Province . Nobunaga intentionally built Azuchi Castle close enough to Kyoto that he could watch over and guard the approaches to the capital, but outside Kyoto so his fortress would be immune to the fires and conflicts that occasionally consumed the city. Azuchi Castle's location was also strategically advantageous in managing
216-528: A largemouth bass weighing 10.12 kg (22 lb 5 oz) was caught from the lake by Manabu Kurita. It has been officially certified by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) to tie the largemouth bass world record held solely by George Perry for 77 years. The Awazu site, a submerged Shell midden , is an important archaeological site of the Jōmon period . It goes back to
324-549: A true loach ( Cobitis magnostriata ), two gobies ( Gymnogobius isaza and Rhinogobius biwaensis ), two silurid catfish ( Silurus biwaensis and S. lithophilus ) and a cottid ( Cottus reinii ). The Biwa trout is also endemic to the lake, but some maintain that it is a subspecies of the widespread masu salmon rather than a separate species. The remaining endemic fish are subspecies of Carassius auratus , Cobitis minamorii , Sarcocheilichthys variegatus and Squalidus (chankaensis) biwae . Lake Biwa
432-564: A combined Oda-Tokugawa force attacked and conquered Kai Province , where Katsuyori was cornered and defeated at the Battle of Tenmokuzan , and then committed seppuku . With the Takeda clan practically annihilated as political entity, Nobunaga gave Ieyasu the right to govern Suruga Province in recognition of his service in the fight against the Takeda clan. In late June 1582, before the incident at Honnō-ji temple , Oda Nobunaga invited Ieyasu to tour
540-521: A heavy blow to the Oda clan. In 1551, an army under the command of Imagawa Sessai laid siege to the castle where Oda Nobuhiro , Nobuhide's illegitimate eldest son, was living. Nobuhiro was trapped by the Imagawa clan but was saved through negotiation by Oda Nobunaga, Nobuhide's second son and heir. Sessai made an agreement with Nobunaga to take Takechiyo back to Imagawa, and he agreed. Takechiyo, now nine years old,
648-724: A lesser role in the politics of Tokugawa clan. According to this theory, the conflict between these two factions eventually led to a conflict between Ieyasu, representing the Hamamatsu faction, and his son Nobuyasu, representing the Okazaki faction, finally ending with Nobuyasu's death in prison. Nobuyasu planned to exile Ieyasu with the help of the Okazaki Castle faction. Before and after his son's execution, Ieyasu punished or executed many of those who worked at Okazaki Castle, although some escaped. Taniguchi theorized that Tsukiyama also participated in
756-490: A minor daimyo , Ieyasu once lived as a hostage under daimyo Imagawa Yoshimoto on behalf of his father. He later succeeded as daimyo after his father's death, serving as ally, vassal, and general of the Oda clan , and building up his strength under Oda Nobunaga. After Oda Nobunaga's death, Ieyasu was briefly a rival of Toyotomi Hideyoshi , before declaring his allegiance to Toyotomi and fighting on his behalf. Under Toyotomi, Ieyasu
864-527: A new alliance with Takeda's enemy to the north, Uesugi Kenshin of the Uesugi clan . Through these political manipulations, Ieyasu gained the support of the samurai of Tōtōmi Province. Furthermore, Ieyasu also placed the " Iinoya's trio" (Iinoya-Sanninshu) of clans under the command of his trusted vassal, Ii Naomasa . The Iinoya trio were powerful clans that originated from the eastern side of Mikawa who greatly contributed to Ieyasu's expansion during his conquest of
972-472: A powerful daimyo. In 1580, Ieyasu built five fortresses in order to isolate Takatenjin Castle from external supplies and reinforcements. In addition to those 5 new fortresses, Ieyasu renovated an old castle named Ogasayama fort, which had originally been built by Ieyasu far before the conquest of Tōtōmi Province against Imagawa clan to capture Kakegawa Castle . With the six fortresses, which were referred to as
1080-497: A preemptive measure, Ieyasu dispatched Honda Nobutoshi to contact Kawajiri Hidetaka , who ruled Suwa District as a vassal of the Oda clan, to request cooperation. Meanwhile, Ieyasu had Yoda Nobushige, the former Takeda clan governor of the Saku district who had been hidden in the Tokugawa territory and had maintained contact with Ieyasu organize contacts with the other remaining vassals of
1188-459: A result, he and his men were not present at the Battle of Okehazama where Yoshimoto was killed in a surprise assault by Nobunaga, In the end, Motoyasu managed to capture Marune castle. Later, in response of the news about Yoshimoto's death, Motoyasu sent lookouts to check the state of the battle and then he retreated from Odaka Castle at midnight. After leaving Odaka Castle, Motoyasu's forces headed for Okazaki with Asai Michitada as their guide. On
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#17328547181611296-564: A samurai theme park near Ise. In addition, a full-scale replica of the top floors of the donjon is on display at the Nobunaga no Yakata Museum near the original castle ruins. Azuchi Castle was listed as one of Japan's Top 100 Castles by the Japan Castle Foundation in 2006. The construction of the castle was the theme of the 2009 period drama film Castle Under Fiery Skies (火天の城, Katen no Shiro ), based on Kenichi Yamamoto 's novel of
1404-535: A saw, while Tadayo crucified his wife and children. According to the investigation, Yashirō was implicated in allegations of colluding with Takeda Katsuyori to betray Ieyasu and invade the Tokugawa clan's territory. According to a letter, Yashiro had teamed up with Takeda Katsuyori of Kai to seize Okazaki Castle. However, one of Yashiro's colleagues, Yamada Hachizō, betrayed Yashiro and passed this information to Nobuyasu. Meanwhile, Ieyasu himself also learned about Yashirō's further crimes of corruptions in governance through
1512-500: A senior Tokugawa vassal, inspected Masatada's troops, where he commended the cooperation of Masatada lieutenant, Kubota Masakatsu. Later on June 28, Ieyasu also dispatched the Anayama clan, to resist the Hōjō clan. He also sent his generals Ōkubo Tadayo , Ishikawa Yasumichi and Honda Hirotaka along with his son Yasushige as reinforcements for them to resist the Hōjō. At some point during this war,
1620-499: A sophisticated processing technology was mastered in order to remove the harmful tannic acid , and make this food safe for consumption. Ishiyama is another such site of the Early Jōmon period on Lake Biwa. Various environmental laws cover Lake Biwa: At the prefectural level, Eutrophication Control Ordinance was enacted in 1979. It was intended to control the use of synthetic detergents by companies and residents alike and followed
1728-516: A successful citizens' campaign known as the Soap Movement, which had emerged from women's consumer groups earlier in the 1970s. Legislation to prevent eutrophication was enacted in 1981 and first enforced on July 1, 1982; therefore, this day is called "Lake Biwa Day ( びわ湖の日 , Biwako no Hi ) ". The legislation established standards for the nitrogen and phosphorus levels for agricultural, industrial, and household water sources emptying into
1836-748: A supplement from Ietada Nikki recorded that Ieyasu and his forces also participated in Oda's punitive campaign against Asakura where they fought and captured the Mount Tenzutsu castle. The Oda-Tokugawa forces managed to kill 1,370 enemies on April 25. They continued the next day where they besieged Kanegasaki castle . However the Azai clan sent reinforcements to relieve the siege so Nobunaga retreated without contacting Ieyasu. After dawn, Ieyasu withdrew from battle guided by Kinoshita Tokichi (later named Toyotomi Hideyoshi ), an Oda vassal. Later, in July 1570, Azai Nagamasa ,
1944-424: A truce with Ieyasu by offering Takisakai and Koyama Castle in exchange for Takatenjin castle being spared from the siege. After Ieyasu consulted with Nobunaga on this matter, he refused Motonobu's plea. Nobunaga stated his reason in a letter saying that if Takeda Katsuyori sent his forces to assist Motonobu, then there would be an opportunity to bait the Takeda army into coming outside the castle and annihilate them on
2052-448: A vassal's report. In June, during Takeda Katsuyori's raid on Mikawa Province when he attacked Yoshida Castle and besieged Nagashino Castle , Ieyasu appealed to Nobunaga for help and Nobunaga came personally with 30,000 men. The Oda-Tokugawa forces 38,000 strong won a great victory and successfully defended Nagashino Castle. Though the Takeda forces had been destroyed, Katsuyori survived the battle and retreated back to Kai Province . For
2160-477: Is also the home of a large number of molluscs , including 38 freshwater snails (19 endemic) and 16 bivalves (9 endemic). Recently the biodiversity of the lake has suffered greatly due to the invasion of foreign fish , the black bass and the bluegill . Bluegill were presented to the Emperor and later freed in the lake as a food source for other fish. Black bass were introduced as a sport fish . In July 2009,
2268-420: Is an important place for water birds . About 5,000 water birds visit Lake Biwa every year. There are 46 native fish species and subspecies in the lake, including 11 species and 5 subspecies that are endemic or near-endemic. The endemic species are five cyprinids ( Carassius cuvieri , Gnathopogon caerulescens , Ischikauia steenackeri , Opsariichthys uncirostris and Sarcocheilichthys biwaensis ),
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#17328547181612376-739: Is considered to have been in a position of independence from Nobunaga to a certain extent. In 1568, Ieyasu besieged the Horikawa Castle in Tōtōmi and captured it in 1569. Ieyasu then ordered Ishikawa Hanzaburo to massacre the castle prisoners and residents, including women and children. It was recorded that around 700 people were beheaded on the banks of the Miyakoda River. Ōkubo Tadachika , who witnessed this massacre testified in his personal journal, Mikawa Monogatari , that "... both mens and womens can be cut into pieces [ sic ]...". Later
2484-666: The biwa . Kōsō, a learned monk of Enryaku-ji in the 14th century, gave a clue to the origin of the name Biwako in his writing: "The lake is the Pure land of the goddess Benzaiten because she lives on Chikubu Island and the shape of the lake is similar to that of the biwa , her favorite instrument." The lake was formerly known as the Awaumi ( 淡海 , Freshwater Sea) or the Chikatsu Awaumi ( 近淡海 , Freshwater Sea Near [the Capital]) . Later
2592-624: The Azuchi–Momoyama period onwards. Yamajiro ( 山城 , lit. ' Hill castles ' ) of the Sengoku period were, so to speak, earthen fortresses built by cutting through the mountain and heaped up with rocks and earth, with military priority, but Nobunaga's stone castles were a revolutionary departure from these, and became show castles with both political functions. The Azuchi-Momoyama period of Japanese history partially takes its name from Azuchi Castle. This all-stone-walled castle
2700-530: The Battle of Azukizaka (1564) . Some of Ieyasu's vassals were in the Ikkō-ikki ranks, notably Honda Masanobu and Natsume Yoshinobu , who had deserted him for the Ikkō-ikki rebellion out of religious sympathy. However, many of Ieyasu's core vassals who were also followers of the sect, such as Ishikawa Ienari and Honda Tadakatsu , quickly abandoned the Ikkō faith of Jōdo Shinshū and stayed loyal to Ieyasu in order to strike
2808-598: The Imagawa clan based in Suruga Province to the east and the Oda clan to the west. Hirotada's main enemy was Oda Nobuhide , the father of Oda Nobunaga . In the year of Takechiyo's birth, the Matsudaira clan split. Hirotada's uncle, Matsudaira Nobutaka defected to the Oda clan . This gave Oda Nobuhide the confidence to attack Okazaki. Soon afterwards, Hirotada's father-in-law died, and his heir, Mizuno Nobumoto , revived
2916-492: The Jesuits , but with a stupa at the atrium floor center. However, the external design of Azuchi Castle is still debated. Another Japanese Architectural Historian, Miyakami Shigetaka, has accused Naitō of failing to corroborate his theory with enough documentation. The Azuchi Screens are a set of six- folding screens depicting Azuchi Castle and its nearby town. Oda Nobunaga gifted them to Pope Gregory XIII , who displayed them in
3024-625: The Kansai region in celebration of the demise of the Takeda clan . Before the meeting could take place, Ieyasu learned that Nobunaga had been killed at Honnō-ji temple by Akechi Mitsuhide . Tokugawa Ieyasu heard that Nobunaga had been killed by Akechi Mitsuhide while in Hirakata , Osaka, but at the time, he had only a few companions with him, notably Sakai Tadatsugu, Ii Naomasa, and Honda Tadakatsu, Sakakibara Yasumasa and some others. The Iga provincial route
3132-549: The Nakasendō highway to stop in the town overnight for lodging, thus bringing business to his town's innkeepers. By 1582, the town's inhabitants numbered roughly 5,000. In addition to welcoming many of Nobunaga's powerful political guests, such as Tokugawa Ieyasu and Niwa Nagahide , Azuchi castle also hosted an event in 1579 which has come to be known as the Azuchi religious debate (安土宗論, Azuchi shūron ), taking place between leaders of
3240-453: The Nichiren and Jōdo-shū sects of Buddhism. On the night of Urabon-e (Feast of Lanterns) in 1581, Nobunaga made the houses in the castle town turn off their lights and lit up Azuchi Castle with lanterns and other decorations to astonish the missionaries leaving the castle. It was even more impressive because the castle was built on the tip of a promontory surrounded on three sides by a lake, and
3348-634: The Vatican collections , where they were admired by visitors. However, they disappeared from historical record. Their fate is unknown and they are considered to be lost. The screens must have been pivotal works in the development of Japanese folding screens. All that remains of the castle today is the stonework. However, an approximate reproduction of the Azuchi Castle donjon, based on illustrations and historical descriptions, stands in Ise Sengoku Village,
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3456-566: The de facto control of government until his death in 1616. He implemented a set of careful rules known as the bakuhan system, designed to keep the daimyo and samurai in check under the Tokugawa Shogunate. Tokugawa Ieyasu was born in Okazaki Castle on the 26th day of the twelfth month of the eleventh year of Tenbun , according to the Japanese calendar , January 31, 1543 according to
3564-498: The siege of Noda Castle later that same year. In 1574, Shingen was succeeded by his son Takeda Katsuyori and the conflict continued as the Tokugawa forces under Honda Tadakatsu and Sakakibara Yasumasa seized many of the Takeda clan's castles, including Komyo Castle. At some point, Ieyasu tried to capture Inui Castle in Tōtōmi Province, but strong resistance from its garrison commander, Amano Kagehira, forced Ieyasu to abort
3672-421: The "Mikawa Monogatari'", which was written by Ōkubo Tadachika , Tokuhime (wife of Nobuyasu), who was not on good terms with her mother-in-law Tsukiyama-dono, wrote in a letter to her father, Nobunaga, that her mother-in-law and her husband were secretly conspiring with Takeda Katsuyori. However, this hypothesis was considered implausible by various historians in the modern era. According to Katsuhiro Taniguchi,
3780-690: The "six fortresses of Takatenjin", completed, Ieyasu assigned Ishikawa Yasumichi to the Ogasayama fort, Honda Yasushige to the Nogasaka fort, Osuga Yasutaka to the Higamine, Shishigahana, and Nakamura forts, while Sakai Ietada was appointed to garrison the Mitsuiyama fort. The Takatenjin castle which was defended by Okabe Motonobu , immediately suffered from a period of starvation as the seige by Oda-Tokugawa forces intensified. In response, Motonobu tried to negotiate
3888-503: The Erinji area with 500 men to confront a Hōjō troop that numbered 3,000 men. Masatada managed to defeat them and inflicted between 600 and 700 casualties. On June 12, Masatada joined forces with another former Takeda vassal, Okabe Masatsuna , and a senior Tokugawa general, Osuga Yasutaka. The same day, Yoda Nobushige set off to Saku District and rallied around 3,000 Takeda clan retainers as Ieyasu instructed. Several days later, Osuga Yasutaka,
3996-632: The Hōjō clan had captured Iwadono Castle in Tsuru District, and instructed Watanabe Shozaemon, a local magistrate from the Tsuru District, to assist them in their conquest. Subsequently, Sanada Masayuki led his army and captured the Numata Castle for the Uesugi clan. On June 14 however, Kawajiri Hidetaka killed Honda Nobutoshi. This was followed by an uprising from many of the clans in Kai province against Hidetaka
4104-469: The Hōjō clan, forcing Tadatsugu to retreat. As Tadatsugu's forces retreated, they were pursued by 43,000 men of the Hōjō clan army. Okabe Masatsuna, a member of the Suruga clan samurai who once served under Baba Nobuharu , took the initiative to defend the rear of Tadatsugu's army from the enemy charges and repelled them. As they successfully retreated without further losses, they rejoined Ieyasu's main forces in
4212-541: The Ieyasu's escorts suffered around 200 casualties during their journey, and when they arrived at Ietada's residence in Mikawa, they only had about 34 personnel left, including high ranking Tokugawa generals including Tadatsugu, Naomasa, Tadakatsu, Sakakibara, Ōkubo Tadayo , Hattori Hanzō , and others. After Ieyasu reached Mikawa, he immediately moved to shift his focus on former Takeda clan territory as he expected unrest there. As
4320-450: The Imagawa clan. He also strengthened his powerbase by creating a military government system for the Tokugawa clan in Mikawa which was based on his hereditary vassals, the Fudai daimyō . The system which was called " Sanbi no gunsei " (三備の軍制) divided governance into three sections: In 1567, Ieyasu started the family name "Tokugawa", changing his name to the well-known Tokugawa Ieyasu . As he
4428-417: The Imagawa ordered him to fight against the Oda clan in a series of battles. Motoyasu fought his first battle in 1558 at the siege of Terabe . The lord of Terabe, Suzuki Shigeteru (or Suzuki Shigetatsu ), betrayed the Imagawa by defecting to Oda Nobunaga . This was nominally within Matsudaira territory, so Imagawa Yoshimoto entrusted the campaign to Motoyasu and his retainers from Okazaki. Motoyasu led
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4536-555: The Imagawa. Despite this refusal, Nobuhide chose not to kill Takechiyo, but instead held him hostage for the next three years at the Honshōji Temple in Nagoya . It was rumored that Oda Nobunaga met Takechiyo at the temple, when Takechiyo was 6 years old, and Nobunaga was 14. However, Katsuhiro Taniguchi reported there is no concrete historical records about this story of first meeting between Ieyasu with Nobunaga. In 1549, when Takechiyo
4644-850: The Kai Kawachi domain, the former base of Anayama Nobutada , one of Tokugawa's retainers who was killed by outlaws during his escape after the Honnō-ji Incident. Suganuma Castle (Terazawa, Minobu Town) was built along the Fuji River and the Suruga Highway (Kawachi Road). After the death of Nobutada and the senior members of the Obikane clan, to which they had pledged loyalty, the Anayama clan was left leaderless, so they decided to pledge allegiance to Ieyasu. Ieyasu then dispatched Sone Masatada , formerly one of Shingen Takeda's three most prominent generals, to
4752-603: The Katsura and Kizu to become the Yodo River and flows into the Seto Inland Sea at Osaka Bay . It serves as a reservoir for the cities of Kyoto and Ōtsu and is a valuable resource for nearby textile industries. It provides drinking water for about 15 million people in the Kansai region . Lake Biwa is a breeding ground for freshwater fish, including trout , and for the pearl culture industry. The Lake Biwa Canal , built in
4860-449: The Takeda clan to restore order in the chaos following the death of Nobunaga. At that moment, Nobushige was settled in the secluded village of Osawa. At the same time, Uesugi and the Hōjō clans also mobilized their forces to invade Shinano Province , Kōzuke Province , and Kai Province (currently Gunma Prefecture), which were ruled by the remnants of the many small clans that formerly served
4968-565: The Takeda clan, when they learned of the death of Nobunaga. This caused a triangle conflict between those three factions known as the Tenshō-Jingo War ( 天正壬午の乱 , Tenshō-Jingo no ran ) . At first, the Hōjō clan, who ruled the Kantō region , led an army of 55,000 men to invade the Shinano Province through Usui, as they aimed to prevent a Tokugawa incursion of Kai. By June 13, 1582,
5076-635: The Tokugawa clan also gained support fromt the Tomohisa clan . Uesugi Kagekatsu of the Uesugi clan also made his move by supporting former Takeda clan forces under the leadership of Ogasawara Dōsetsusai from the Ogasawara clan and Yashiro Hidemasa at Chikuma and the Nishina clan of Azumino . They defeated and expelled Kiso Yoshimasa , who had been granted the control of both Chikuma and Azumino by Oda Nobunaga. They then faced another branch of Ogasawara clan which
5184-969: The Tokugawa group suffered one last attack by Ochimusha-gari outlaws as they reached the territory of Kōka ikki clans of Jizamurai who were friendly to the Tokugawa clan. The Koka ikki samurais assisted Ieyasu in eliminating the threat of the Ochimusha-gari outlaws and escorted them until they reached Iga Province , where they were further protected by other allied clans from Iga ikki who accompanied Ieyasu and his group until they safely reached Mikawa. Portuguese missionary Luís Fróis recorded in his work History of Japan that during this journey, Tokugawa retainers including Sakai Tadatsugu , Ii Naomasa and Honda Tadakatsu fought their way out of raids and harassment from Ochimusha-gari outlaws while escorting Ieyasu, while paying bribes of gold and silver to those Ochimusha-gari outlaws that could be bribed. Matsudaira Ietada recorded in his journal, Ietada nikki (家忠日記),
5292-503: The Western calendar. Originally named Matsudaira Takechiyo ( 松平 竹千代 ) , he was the son of Matsudaira Hirotada ( 松平 広忠 ) , the daimyo of Mikawa of the Matsudaira clan , and Odai no Kata ( 於大の方 , Lady Odai) , the daughter of a neighbouring samurai lord , Mizuno Tadamasa ( 水野 忠政 ) . His mother and father were step-siblings. They were 17 and 15 years old, respectively, when Takechiyo
5400-580: The abandoned Okazaki Castle and reclaimed his ancestral seat. Motoyasu then decided to ally with Oda Nobunaga . Motoyasu's wife, Lady Tsukiyama , and infant son, Matsudaira Nobuyasu, were held hostage in Sunpu by Imagawa Ujizane , Yoshimoto's heir, so the deal was secret. In 1561, Motoyasu openly broke his allegiance with the Imagawa clan and captured Kaminogō castle. Kaminogō was held by Udono Nagamochi. Resorting to stealth, Motoyasu forces under Hattori Hanzō attacked under cover of darkness, setting fire to
5508-402: The advantage as they steadily pushed back the Tokugawa army. However, Honda Tadakatsu suddenly launched a lone, suicidal charge, while Sakakibara Yasumasa launched his force in a timely counterattack on Asakura's flank; they managed to beat Asakura's forces. Since Ieyasu's army was now free to move, they exploited the gap between Asakura and Azai's forces and sent Tadakatsu and Yasumasa to attack
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#17328547181615616-537: The area of Wakamiko in Suwamachi (modern day Yamanashi Prefecture ). On June 5, Ieyasu instructed two members of Takekawa clan from Kai who were hiding in Kiriyama, Tōtōmi Province, Orii Tsugumasa and Yonekura Tadatsugu, to proceed with the work of enticing the Kai samurai to the Tokugawa side. The next day, Ieyasu also sent a letter to Masatsuna instructing him to begin the construction of a castle at Shimoyama, Minobu Town in
5724-484: The attack in person, but after taking the outer defences, he burned the main castle and withdrew. As anticipated, the Oda forces attacked his rear lines, but Motoyasu was prepared and drove off the Oda army. He then succeeded in delivering supplies during the siege of Odaka Castle a year later. Odaka was one of five disputed frontier forts under attack by the Oda clan, and the only one that still remained under Imagawa control. Motoyasu launched diversionary attacks against
5832-497: The battlefield to the responsibility of ruling the realm and ensuring peace and order all around. In 1976, the Japanese architectural historian Akira Naitō published what he believed to be a conclusive summary of the features of Azuchi Castle. He concluded that the tenshu was 46 meters in height, with a gilded octagonal belvedere on top. An atrium rose from the basement level to the fourth floor ceiling, supposedly influenced by
5940-635: The beginning of the Initial Jōmon period (ca. 9300 BP ). It lies near the southern end of Lake Biwa, close to Otsu City , at a depth of 2 to 3 meters from the bottom. The site shows the use of plant and animal food resources by the Jōmon people . It also demonstrates the importance of nut consumption in this period. Shell Midden No. 3 is dated to the Middle Jōmon period . An abundance of horse chestnuts were uncovered here (about 40% of their total estimated diet). This indicates that, by this later period,
6048-452: The brother-in-law of Nobunaga, who had broken his alliance with the Oda clan during the siege of Kanegasaki and Asakura combined to fight the combined armies of Nobunaga and Ieyasu who led 5,000 of his men to support Nobunaga at the battle. As the Oda clan engaged the Azai clan army on the right, Tokugawa's forces engaged the Asakura clan's army on the left. At first, Asakura's army gained
6156-690: The castle and capturing two of Udono's sons. He then used them as hostages to exchange for his wife and son. Sometime in the aftermath of the Okehazama battle where Imagawa Yoshimoto was slain, Ieyasu formed the Kiyosu Alliance [ jp ] with Oda Nobunaga , daimyo lord of Owari Province and the head of Oda clan . In 1563, Matsudaira Nobuyasu, the first son of Motoyasu, was married to Oda Nobunaga's daughter Tokuhime . In February, Matsudaira Motoyasu changed his name to Matsudaira Ieyasu . Some historians believe that these actions provoked
6264-458: The castle and instead made camp for the night. This error allowed a band of Tokugawa soldiers to raid the camp in the ensuing hours, further upsetting the already disoriented Takeda army, and ultimately resulting in Shingen's decision to call off the offensive altogether. Takeda Shingen would not get another chance to advance on Hamamatsu, much less Kyoto, since he died from unknown causes shortly after
6372-408: The castle show the donjon to be 40 meters, with seven levels. Fourthly, Azuchi Castle had irregularly formed inner citadels. These inner citadels gave defenders ample defensive positions against intruders. Nobunaga chose Azuchi-yama for the location of Azuchi Castle, which rises 100 meters above Lake Biwa. The site was strategically placed at the intersection of three highways converging on Kyoto from
6480-402: The city at the southern end of the lake, from 1962 until 2021. Lake Biwa is of tectonic origin and is one of the world's oldest lakes , dating to at least 4 million years ago. This long uninterrupted age has allowed for a notably diverse ecosystem to evolve in the lake. Naturalists have documented more than 1000 species and subspecies in the lake, including about 60 endemics . Lake Biwa
6588-457: The clan's traditional enmity against the Matsudaira and declared allegiance to Oda Nobuhide as well. As a result, Hirotada divorced Odai-no-kata and sent her back to her family. Hirotada later remarried to different wives, and Takechiyo eventually had 11 half-brothers and sisters. As Oda Nobuhide continued to attack Okazaki, Hirotada turned to his powerful eastern neighbor, Imagawa Yoshimoto for assistance. Yoshimoto agreed to an alliance under
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#17328547181616696-557: The communications and transportation routes between Nobunaga's greatest foes – the Uesugi to the north, the Takeda in the east, and the Mōri to the west. Azuchi Castle was demolished in 1582 by Akechi Mitsuhide after his assassination of Nobunaga in the Honno-ji Incident . Many researchers agree that Azuchi Castle was the catalyst for the establishment of early modern castles in Japan from
6804-404: The condition that Hirotada send his young heir to Sunpu Domain as a hostage. Oda Nobuhide learned of this arrangement and had Takechiyo abducted. Takechiyo was five years old at the time. Nobuhide threatened to execute Takechiyo unless his father severed all ties with the Imagawa clan . However, Hirotada refused, stating that sacrificing his own son would show his seriousness in his pact with
6912-461: The country's historical capital Kyoto , references to Lake Biwa appear frequently in Japanese literature, particularly in poetry and in historical accounts of battles. The name Biwako was established in the Edo period . There are various theories about the origin of the name Biwako , but it is generally believed to be so named because of the resemblance of its shape to that of a stringed instrument called
7020-472: The coup d'état that was going on in Okazaki Castle. Furthermore, Sakai Tadatsugu, the most prominent general of Ieyasu, also may have played a role in confirming Oda Nobunaga's suspicion of the alleged betrayal against the Oda clan being planned by Nobuyasu Tsukiyama. Ieyasu may have concluded that if a high-ranking fudai daimyō such as Tadatsugu had confirmed the accusations against Lady Tsukiyama, then they must be true. Another theory has said that Tadatsugu
7128-417: The disputed regions and then split his army into two parts, with the separate detachment led by Sakai Tadatsugu and Ogasawara Nobumine going to pacify the Shinano Province, while Ieyasu took the main force to pacify Kai. Tadatsugu and Nobumine met with unexpected resistance from Suwa Yoritada, a former Takeda vassal who was now allied with the Hōjō clan. They were beaten by Yoritada, who were then reinforced by
7236-478: The east. Nobunaga desired a full castle town , and built well-defended homes for his generals, a Jōdo-shū Buddhist temple called Jōgon-in , and a number of homes for commoners a short distance away on the shore of the lake. He had trouble convincing people to move into these homes at first, however. In the summer of 1577, he issued a municipal charter, guaranteeing residents immunity from taxes, building or transport levies, and moratoria, and forced all travelers on
7344-558: The end and received the money in person. In the summer of 1582, just after Nobunaga's death at Honnō-ji , the castle was taken over by the forces of Akechi Mitsuhide , Nobunaga's betrayer. The castle was set aflame a week or so later, with some accounts claiming this might have been the work of looting townspeople, or of one of Nobunaga's sons. Confucius and other Confucian figures were depicted in paintings at Azuchi Castle. The highest respect given to Confucianism in Azuchi Castle implies that Nobunaga's ideas were shifting from tactics for
7452-410: The end of battle, the Ikkō-ikki were defeated. By 1565, Ieyasu had become the master of all of Mikawa Province. In 1566, as Ieyasu declared his independence from the Imagawa clan. He reformed the order of Mikawa province starting with the Matsudaira clan , after he pacified Mikawa . This decision was made after he was counseled by his senior vassal Sakai Tadatsugu to abandon the clan's allegiance to
7560-399: The field. Meanwhile, Nobunaga also stated that if Katsuyori neglected helping Motonobu at all, it would damage the Takeda clan's credibility because they could not save their own vassals. In 1581, Ieyasu forces managed to subdue Tanaka castle, and recapture Takatenjin castle , where Okabe Motonobu was killed during the fight. The end of the war with Takeda Katsuyori came in 1582, when
7668-471: The first Japanese castles with a tower keep, the Azuchi keep itself was unique in that its uppermost story was octagonal. In addition, the facade of the Azuchi donjon, unlike the solid white or black of other keeps, was colorfully decorated with tigers and dragons. There were five main militaristic features of Azuchi Castle that differentiated it from earlier castle designs. Firstly, it was a massive structure, with
7776-726: The flank of Azai's formation, which caused Oda-Tokugawa's forces to be able to win the battle. In October 1571, Takeda Shingen broke the alliance with the Oda-Tokugawa forces and allied with the Odawara Hōjō clan . He decided to make a drive for Kyoto at the urging of the shōgun Ashikaga Yoshiaki , starting by invading Tokugawa lands in Tōtōmi . Takeda Shingen's first objectives in his campaign against Ieyasu were Nishikawa Castle , Yoshida Castle and Futamata Castle . In 1572, after besieging Futamata , Shingen would press on past Futamata towards
7884-626: The following day, which resulted in Hidetaka being killed on June 18. The Hōjō also gained support from the Hoshina clan , which was a former Takeda vassal, led by Hoshina Masatoshi and his sons Hoshina Masanao and Naitō Masaaki. By the end of June, they had secured all of the territory except for the areas controlled by the Sanada in Numata and Agatsuma. Meanwhile, Ieyasu immediately marched his 8,000 soldiers to
7992-486: The former Imagawa territories in Tōtōmi Province. In 1570, Ieyasu established Hamamatsu as the capital of his territory, placing his son Matsudaira Nobuyasu in charge of Okazaki . Asakura Yoshikage , the head of the Asakura clan and regent of Ashikaga Yoshiaki , refused to come to Kyōto. This caused Nobunaga to declare both of them rebels. Several reports from Mikawa Monogatari , Nobunaga Koki , Tokugawa Jikki , and
8100-430: The homage of his nominal retainers, led by the karō Torii Tadayoshi . One year later, at the age of 15 (according to East Asian age reckoning ), he married his first wife, Lady Tsukiyama , a relative of Imagawa Yoshimoto, and changed his name again to Matsudaira Kurandonosuke Motoyasu ( 松平 蔵人佐 元康 ) . A year later, their son, Matsudaira Nobuyasu , was born. He was then allowed to return to Mikawa Province. There,
8208-466: The lake. They also banned people from using and selling synthetic detergents which contain phosphorus. The lake was designated as a UNESCO Ramsar Wetland (1993) in accordance with the Ramsar Convention . The object of this treaty is to protect and sensibly use internationally valuable wetlands . The Kushiro marsh ( 釧路湿原 , Kushiro Shitsugen) in Japan is under this treaty now. Reed colonies on
8316-643: The late 1890s and later expanded during the Taishō period , played a role of great importance in the rekindling of Kyoto's industrial life, after a steep decline following the transfer of the capital to Tokyo. Lake Biwa is home to many popular beaches along the north-western shore, in particular Shiga Beach and Omi-Maiko . The Mizunomori Water Botanical Garden and the Lake Biwa Museum in Kusatsu are also of interest. The Lake Biwa Marathon took place annually in Ōtsu,
8424-429: The major Tokugawa home castle at Hamamatsu . Ieyasu asked for help from Nobunaga, who sent him some 3,000 troops. Early in 1573, the two armies met at the Battle of Mikatagahara , north of Hamamatsu. The considerably larger Takeda army, under the expert direction of Shingen, overwhelmed Ieyasu's troops and caused heavy casualties. Despite his initial reluctance, Ieyasu was convinced by his generals to retreat. The battle
8532-569: The mediation of a Mikawa native and the abbot of the Kyo Seiganji Temple. Due to Motohisa's efforts, Yoshida Kaneyoshi discovered a genealogical document in the Manri-koji family that was precedent, saying, "Tokugawa (belongs) to Minamoto clan, as another offshoot of the Fujiwara clan," and a copy was transferred to him and used for the application. Then after passing several steps, Ieyasu gained
8640-502: The more plausible theory was that there was friction within the house of Tokugawa clan between two factions with conflicting ideals, as proposed by the Japanese writer Tenkyu Goro. One faction was active on the front lines and had many opportunities to advance their careers, dubbed the "Hamamatsu Castle Faction." The other faction was the "Okazaki Castle Faction," which consisted of Tokugawa vassals responsible for logistical support due to past injuries and other factors that caused them to play
8748-570: The next seven years, Ieyasu and Katsuyori fought a series of small battles, as the result, Ieyasu's troops managed to wrest control of Suruga Province from the Takeda clan . In 1579, Lady Tsukiyama , Ieyasu's wife, and his heir Matsudaira Nobuyasu were accused by Nobunaga of conspiring with Takeda Katsuyori to assassinate Nobunaga, whose daughter Tokuhime was married to Nobuyasu. Ieyasu ordered his wife to be executed and forced his son to commit seppuku because of these accusations. There are various theories regarding this incident. According to
8856-546: The permission of the Imperial Court and he was bestowed the courtesy title Mikawa-no-kami and the court rank of Junior 5th Rank, Lower Grade ( 從五位下 , ju go-i no ge ) . Though the Tokugawa clan could claim some modicum of freedom, they were very much subject to the requests of Oda Nobunaga . Ieyasu remained an ally of Nobunaga and his Mikawa soldiers were part of Nobunaga's army which captured Kyoto in 1568. In 1568, at
8964-620: The pro-Imagawa faction, including the Sakurai and Okusa Matsudaira families, which led to the simultaneous uprising against Ieyasu in the following year. During this period, the Matsudaira clan faced a threat from the Ikkō-ikki movement, where peasants banded together with militant monks under the Jōdo Shinshū sect, and rejected the traditional feudal social order. Ieyasu undertook several battles to suppress this movement in his territories, including
9072-507: The pronunciation Awaumi changed to the modern Ōmi as in the name of Ōmi Province . The lake is also called Nio no Umi ( 鳰の海 , " Little Grebe Lake") in literature. The area of this lake is about 670 km (260 sq mi). Small rivers drain from the surrounding mountains into Lake Biwa, and its main outlet is the Seta River , which later becomes the Uji River, combining with
9180-482: The rebels. On January 15, 1564, Ieyasu decided to concentrate his forces to attack and eliminate the Ikkō-ikki from Mikawa. In the Battle of Azukizaka , Ieyasu was fighting on the front lines and was nearly killed when he was struck by several bullets however he survived because they did not penetrate his armor. Both sides were using new gunpowder weapons which the Portuguese had introduced to Japan 20 years earlier. At
9288-527: The reed beds has been in force since 1992. Tokugawa Ieyasu Among others... Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo ; January 31, 1543 – June 1, 1616) was the founder and first shōgun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fellow Oda subordinate Toyotomi Hideyoshi . The son of
9396-483: The same name and directed by Tanaka Mitsutoshi . Lake Biwa Lake Biwa ( 琵琶湖 , Biwa-ko ) is the largest freshwater lake in Japan. It is located entirely within Shiga Prefecture (west-central Honshu ), northeast of the former capital city of Kyoto . Lake Biwa is an ancient lake , over 4 million years old. It is estimated to be the 13th oldest lake in the world. Because of its proximity to
9504-457: The same time, Ieyasu was eager to expand eastward to Tōtōmi Province . Ieyasu and Takeda Shingen , the head of the Takeda clan in Kai Province , made an alliance for the purpose of conquering all the Imagawa territory. It is said that the Tokugawa clan had made an agreement with the Takeda clan when dividing the territory that the eastern Suruga Province would become Takeda territory and
9612-527: The same year, Ieyasu's troops penetrated Tōtōmi Province . Meanwhile, Takeda Shingen 's troops captured Suruga Province (including the Imagawa capital of Sunpu ). Imagawa Ujizane fled to Kakegawa Castle , which led Ieyasu to lay siege to Kakegawa . Ieyasu then negotiated with Ujizane, promising that if Ujizane surrendered himself and the remainder of Tōtōmi, Ieyasu would assist Ujizane in regaining Suruga. Ujizane had nothing left to lose, and Ieyasu immediately ended his alliance with Takeda , instead making
9720-486: The shore form give Lake Biwa its characteristic scenery. The reeds play an important role in purifying water as well as providing habitat for birds and fish. At one time there were large areas of reeds along the shores of Lake Biwa, which local government surveys recently found to have halved in size due to encroaching development. This Shiga Ordinance for the Conservation of Reed Vegetation Zones to protect, grow, and utilize
9828-460: The siege. During their retreat, Kagehira launched a counterattack to pursue Ieyasu, but this was repelled by Mizuno Tadashige and Torii Mototada who led the rearguard. In April 1575, Ōga Yashirō, a deputy governor of over 20 villages in Oku district of Mikawa under Matsudaira Nobuyasu, was arrested by Ōkubo Tadayo and paraded around Hamamatsu Castle . He was then executed by being mutilated alive with
9936-421: The surrounding area had not yet been reclaimed. On New Year's Day (lunar calendar) in 1582, Nobunaga opened the interior of Azuchi Castle to guests of honour. So many people crowded in that part of the stone wall collapsed, resulting in injuries and even deaths. At that time, Nobunaga had instructed the daimyos and their vassals to bring 100 mon (monetary unit) each. After the tour, Nobunaga was waiting for them at
10044-460: The two neighboring forts, and when the garrisons of the other forts came to assist, Motoyasu's supply column was able to reach Odaka. By 1559, the leadership of the Oda clan had passed to Oda Nobunaga . In 1560, Imagawa Yoshimoto leading a large army of 25,000 men, invaded Oda territory. Motoyasu was assigned a separate mission to capture the stronghold of Marune in the Siege of Marune operation. As
10152-433: The walls of the castle ranging from 5.5 to 6.5 meters in thickness. The second feature of Azuchi Castle is the predominant use of stone. The walls were constructed from huge granite stones fitted carefully together without the use of mortar. A third innovation of the Azuchi Castle was the high central tower, or donjon . The tower allowed for increased visibility for the use of guns against an opposing force. Builder’s plans for
10260-451: The way, they were stopped by the Mizuno clan's forces at Chiryu, but because Asai Michitada was with them, they were not attacked. Having escaped from danger, Motoyasu entered Daijuji Temple outside Okazaki Castle the following day. With Imagawa Yoshimoto dead, and the Imagawa clan in a state of confusion, Motoyasu used the opportunity to assert his independence and marched his men back into
10368-405: The western Tōtōmi province would be Tokugawa territory, with the Ōi River as the border. On January 8, 1569, the Takeda vassal Akiyama Nobutomo invaded the Tōtōmi province from Shinano Province. The Takeda clan, through Oda Nobunaga, with whom they had a friendly relationship, asked Ieyasu, who was Nobunaga's ally, to reconsider cooperation with the Takeda, but Ieyasu rejected the idea, and Ieyasu
10476-423: Was 6, his father Hirotada died of unknown causes. There was a popular theory that he was murdered by his vassals, who had been bribed by the Oda clan. However, recent research published in a paper by Muraoka Mikio in 2015 stated that the assassination theory was unreliable and Hirotada's death may have been caused by a natural illness. Around the same time, Oda Nobuhide died during an epidemic. Nobuhide's death dealt
10584-405: Was a major defeat, but in the interest of maintaining the appearance of a dignified withdrawal, Ieyasu brazenly ordered the men in his castle to light torches, sound drums, and leave the gates open, to properly receive the returning warriors. To the surprise and relief of the Tokugawa army, this spectacle made the Takeda generals suspicious that they were being led into a trap, so they did not besiege
10692-702: Was a member of the Matsudaira clan , he claimed descent from the Seiwa Genji branch of the Minamoto clan . As there was no proof that the Matsudaira clan were descendants of Emperor Seiwa , the Emperor initially did not approve the appointment, citing the lack of a precedent for the Serada clan of the Seiwa Genji clan to be appointed as Mikawa-no-kami (Lord of Mikawa). Ieyasu then consulted with imperial noble Konoe Motohisa through
10800-419: Was a seven-storey building with six floors above ground and one below, built as a symbol of the castle rather than as the centre of its defence, and this was the beginning of the full-fledged tenshu in Japanese castles. The building containing audience halls, private chambers, offices, and a treasury, as though it were a royal palace. All seven stories were decorated by Kanō Eitoku . In addition to being one of
10908-412: Was actually conspiring with the Ieyasu's mother, Odai no Kata , to get rid of Lady Tsukiyama. Arthur Lindsay Sadler theorized this was a deliberate act of spite from Tadatsugu due to many senior Tokugawa clan generals' dislike of Nobuyasu. In the same year, Ieyasu named his third son, Tokugawa Hidetada , as his heir since his second son had been adopted by Toyotomi Hideyoshi , who would later become
11016-513: Was born. During the Muromachi period , the Matsudaira clan controlled a portion of Mikawa Province (the eastern half of modern Aichi Prefecture ). Ieyasu's father, Matsudaira Hirotada , was a minor local warlord based at Okazaki Castle who controlled a portion of the Tōkaidō highway linking Kyoto with the eastern provinces. His territory was surrounded by stronger and predatory neighbors, including
11124-573: Was built on a vast site on the banks of Lake Biwa as a new stronghold for Oda Nobunaga. Niwa Nagahide had responsibility for constructing the castle, which began in 1576 and completed in 1579. Unlike earlier castles and fortresses, Azuchi was not intended to be a military structure alone, cold, dark, and foreboding. Nobunaga intended it as a mansion which would impress and intimidate his rivals not only with its defenses, but also with its lavish apartments and decorations, flourishing town, and religious life. The keep , called tenshu (or tenshukaku ),
11232-486: Was dangerous because of the Ochimusha-gari , or "Samurai hunters" gangs. Ieyasu and his party, therefore, chose the shortest route back to Mikawa Province by crossing Iga Province . The exact route differs in many versions according to primary sources Tokugawa Nikki or Mikawa Todai-Hon : Regardless which theory was true, historians agreed that when his path ended at Kada (a mountain pass between Kameyama and Iga),
11340-487: Was led by Ogasawara Sadayoshi and his retainers which opposed the steps taken by Dōsetsusai. Sadayoshi's group appealed to the Tokugawa clan and offered their allegiance to Ieyasu. On June 24, Kagekatsu advanced into northern Shinano and entered Naganuma castle . As the triangle battle was underway between the three factions, order was restored in Owari province as the rebellion of Akechi Mitsuhide had already been suppressed in
11448-747: Was relocated to the Kanto plains in eastern Japan, away from the Toyotomi power base in Osaka . He built his castle in the fishing village of Edo (now Tokyo ). He became the most powerful daimyo and the most senior officer under the Toyotomi regime. Ieyasu preserved his strength during Toyotomi's failed attempts to conquer Korea . After Hideyoshi's death and the Battle of Sekigahara , Ieyasu seized power in 1600. He received appointment as shōgun in 1603, and voluntarily resigned from his position in 1605, although he still held
11556-458: Was taken as a hostage to Sunpu. At Sunpu, he was treated fairly well as a potentially useful ally of the Imagawa clan until 1556 when he was 14 years old. Yoshimoto decided that the Matsudaira clan's territory would be inherited by Takechiyo in the future, with the aim that Imagawa clan could rule the area by extensions of their Matsudaira clan as their vassal, this included Zuien-in (the daughter of Matsudaira Nobutada and Takechiyo's great-aunt), who
11664-470: Was the only member of the Anjo Matsudaira clan left in Okazaki Castle. In 1556, Takechiyo officially came of age, with Imagawa Yoshimoto presiding over his genpuku ceremony. Following tradition, he changed his name from Matsudaira Takechiyo to Matsudaira Jirōsaburō Motonobu ( 松平 次郎三郎 元信 ) . He was also briefly allowed to visit Okazaki to pay his respects to the tomb of his father, and receive
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