Marugame Castle is located on Kameyama hill at the center of the city of Marugame, in western
Sanuki Province. During the
Muromachi period, this area was ruled by the
Kagawa clan, originally from
Sagami Province, from their stronghold at
Amagiri Castle in what is now the city of
Zentsuji. The Kagawa clan were vassals of the
Hosokawa clan, but changed their fealty to the
Miyoshi clan and then the
Chosokabe clan due to the fluctuating balance of power in the region. However, the clan was dispossessed when the area was conquered by
Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the
Sengoku period. Hideyoshi awarded all of Sanuki Province to
Ikoma Chikamasa in 1587.. Chikamasa first made his stronghold at
Hiketa Castle, but it was inconveniently located at the eastern edge of Sanuki, and built
Takamatsu Castle in a more central location to be his seat. For control of western Sanuki, he started construction of a castle at Kameyama hill and named it "Marugame Castle". He turned this castle over to his son,
Ikoma Kazumasa. At the time of the
Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Chikamasa continued to support
Ishida Mitsunari and the Western Army loyal to the
Toyotomi clan; however, he sent his son Kazumasa to join
Tokugawa Ieyasu's Eastern Army so that the clan would survive no matter what the outcome. After the establishment of the
Tokugawa shogunate, the Ikoma clan were confirmed in their holdings in Sanuki Province. In 1615, the shogunate issued the
Ikkoku Ichijōj law which allowed each domain only one castle. As the seat of the Ikoma clan was Takamatsu Castle, Marugame Castle had to be abolished. In 1640, the Ikoma clan was demoted to
Yashima Domain in
Dewa Province by the shogunate in 1640 due to
attainder following an uprising, and their holdings were divided. The area around Marugame was awarded to Yamazaki Ieharu, formerly of Tomioka Domain in
Higo Province. Yamazaki Ieharu was noted at castle construction, having participated in the reconstructions of
Osaka Castle and
Shimabara Castle amongst others, and decided to rebuild Marugame Castle with 20-meter stone walls and on a scale above its relatively small territory. The Yamazaki clan died out after three generations in 1658 and was replaced by a cadet branch of the
Kyōgoku clan from
Tatsuno Domain in
Harima Province. Under the Kyōgoku clan, the current three-story
tenshu was built in 1660 and the castle was considered completed in 1670. The Kyōgoku continued to rule from Marugame Castle to the end of the
Edo period. The domain was an early and staunch supporter of the Imperial side in the
Bakumatsu period. After the
Meiji restoration, in 1869, a fire swept through the castle and destroyed the
daimyō palace and the Inui Yagura turret. In 1870, the outer moats were filled in and in 1872 the remaining castle structures were placed on public auction for demolition. However, the auction was cancelled by order of the
Imperial Japanese Army, which laid claim to the castle site for use by the newly formed IJA 12th Infantry Regiment. In 1876 the remaining
yagura turrets and most of the remaining walls were destroyed, but the tenshu and central portion of the castle were preserved. This area was opened to the public in 1919 as "Kameyama Park", and in 1933, the Enjukan, a villa owned by the Kyōgoku clan in the
castle town was relocated to its current site within the San-no-maru Bailey. The moats were reclaimed in 1948. The Marugame City Museum, which exhibits historical materials related to Marugame Castle and the Kyōgoku clan opened in 1972. Marugame Castle was listed as one of
Japan's Top 100 Castles by the Japan Castle Foundation in 2006. The castle is located a 15 minute walk from then
JR Shikoku Yosan Line Marugame Station.
Cultural Properties • The of Marugame Castle has been protected as an
Important Cultural Property since 1943 • The is a
masugata-style gate built in 1670. It has been protected as an
Important Cultural Property since 1957 • The is a
masugata-style gate built in 1670. It has been protected as an
Important Cultural Property since 1957 ==See also==