Ogaki Castle played an important role in Japanese history from the Sengoku period (the Warring States period) through the Edo period. During the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, the castle served as the main stronghold of the Western Army led by Ishida Mitsunari. Even after Mitsunari moved toward Sekigahara, fierce fighting continued around the castle.
From 1635, during the Edo period, the Toda family ruled the domain from Ogaki Castle for 11 generations, holding a fief valued at 100,000 koku of rice. The castle was destroyed by fire during World War II in 1945 and reconstructed in 1959.
Located in central Ogaki City, the castle is distinguished by its unusual four-tiered, four-story keep. Today, it remains a beloved symbol of Ogaki, a historic castle town.
The present four-tiered, four-story castle keep was reconstructed in 1959. Inside, visitors can explore exhibits featuring historical materials related to the Ogaki Domain and the Battle of Sekigahara, offering insight into the castle’s important role in Japanese history.
The castle’s stone walls, built during the Edo period, demonstrate the sophisticated construction techniques used by Japanese castle builders of the time. They provide a glimpse into the defensive architecture of the original castle.
Some remnants of the original castle grounds survive, including areas associated with the main bailey, or honmaru, the second bailey, or ninomaru, and the surrounding moats.
The Ogaki Castle History Museum displays historical documents related to the castle, along with artifacts associated with the Toda family, who ruled the Ogaki Domain during the Edo period.
Ogaki Castle is believed to have been built in 1535 by Miyagawa Yoshiemon-no-jō Yasusada, a retainer of the Toki clan, who served as the military governors of Mino Province. Over the years, the castle was occupied by several families, including the Takekoshi, Ujiie, and Itō clans.
In 1600, during the Battle of Sekigahara, the castle became the principal base of Ishida Mitsunari and the Western Army. The battle was one of the most decisive military conflicts in Japanese history, paving the way for Tokugawa Ieyasu’s establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate.
Following the Battle of Sekigahara, the Toda family took control of Ogaki Castle. The family ruled for 11 generations until the Meiji Restoration in the late 19th century.
The castle served as the administrative center of the Ogaki Domain, while the surrounding castle town prospered as a post town along important travel routes.
After the Meiji Restoration, Ogaki Castle was abolished as part of the nationwide dismantling of feudal castles. Some of its buildings initially escaped demolition, although much of the original structure was eventually lost.
In 1936, the castle keep and other structures were designated as National Treasures under the former cultural property designation system. However, the keep and the northeastern turret were destroyed during the Ogaki air raid in 1945.
The castle keep was reconstructed in 1959. Today, Ogaki Castle is a popular tourist attraction where visitors can learn about the region’s history and its connection to the Battle of Sekigahara.
The original Ogaki Castle was an extensive fortress surrounded by multiple concentric water moats. Its grounds covered more than three times the area of the present site, and the complex reportedly contained ten turrets.
Today, the former main and second baileys have been incorporated into Ogaki Park. The reconstructed four-tiered, four-story castle keep and the Inui Turret stand as prominent reminders of the city’s feudal past.
Within the park, visitors can also see a statue of Toda Ujikane, the first lord of the Ogaki Domain under the Toda family, standing with the reconstructed castle as a backdrop.
As the main stronghold of Ishida Mitsunari’s Western Army during the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Ogaki Castle holds an important place in the story of this historic conflict.
The Ogaki Castle History Museum houses valuable materials related to the samurai commanders of the Sengoku period, as well as armor used by the Toda family from the Edo period onward.
Through these exhibits, visitors can discover the castle’s strategic significance and explore its connection to the Battle of Sekigahara, where the decisive confrontation of the conflict ultimately took place.
Ogaki Castle offers a fascinating combination of reconstructed architecture, surviving historical remains, and informative exhibits. A visit provides an opportunity to learn about the powerful samurai families who governed the region and the dramatic events that helped shape Japan’s history.