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36-565: Gifu Castle is located on Mount Kinkazan to the northeast of central Gifu, facing the Nagara River . Prior to a severe flood in 1586, the Kiso River ran through north of its current riverbed and was much closer to the castle, so Gifu Castle was protected by two large rivers. It also commanded the main route into Mino Province from then Tōkaidō highway which connected Kyoto with the eastern provinces of Japan. The first Gifu Castle

72-519: A tenshu on the top of the mountain and brought in many huge stones to bolster its ramparts. Luis Frois , a renowned Jesuit Missionary from Portugal, was personally invited by Nobunaga to visit the castle. After a short stay in Gifu, Frois praised the castle's extraordinary beauty. Nobunaga used Gifu Castle as his primary residence for about ten years, until the completion of Azuchi Castle in 1579. The whole castle complex reached from top to bottom, with

108-694: A few compass directions. Lights, walkways and signs that were added during 2005's beautification campaign make visiting the castle even more convenient and informative. When visitors pay the entrance fee to Gifu Castle, they also receive entrance to the Gifu Castle Archives Museum, located approximately 70 m (230 ft) from the entrance to Gifu Castle. Inside the museum, visitors will find more archives related to Gifu Castle and its past residents. The second floor focuses on musical instruments from Japan's past and present. Additionally, there are pictures of castles throughout Japan adorning

144-491: A view to all the borders of the city of Gifu. Inside the castle are many artifacts from its past. Centuries ago, the mountain was protected as a hunting ground for the Owari Clan , preserving the trees from being used to build the area as it grew from a small town to a large city. Today, the forest is designated as a national forest, giving protection to the over 700 types of plants and 80 types of birds that can be found on

180-399: Is the castle that still stands today. During reconstruction, tiles were carried to the top by volunteers. Those who helped were able to write messages on the roof tiles before they were put in place. Those who helped were able to experience what it was like when the castle was originally built many years before. From the top of the castle, visitors have a 360-degree view, effectively giving them

216-528: The Battle of Kiyosu Castle against Oda Nobutomo , uncle of Nobunaga. In 1556, when control of the Oda clan was contested, Katsuie initially supported his lord, Nobuyuki, against his elder brother Oda Nobunaga . Katsuie launched a coup d'état against Nobunaga. He was defeated at the Battle of Inō , and in the aftermath Nobunaga had his brother executed, but impressed with the retainer's loyalty and bravery, spared

252-489: The Battle of Okehazama . In 1567, he led the first division of Oda Nobunaga's forces, in the siege of Inabayama against Saito clan . In late 1568, Katsuie, along with Hosokawa Fujitaka , Hachiya Yoritaka , Mori Yoshinari and Sakai Masahisa attacked Iwanari Tomomichi at Shōryūji Castle . In 1570, while the Oda – Tokugawa coalition fought at the Battle of Anegawa against the Asakura and Azai clans , Katsuie

288-473: The Battle of Tedorigawa . In 1580, he led an army, which included his general Sakuma Morimasa in a fight against the Kaga Ikko-ikki at Kanazawa Gobo. In 1581, after controlling Noto , he began a campaign against Etchū Province along with Maeda Toshiie , Sassa Narimasa and Fuwa Mitsuharu . In 1582, he and Sassa Narimasa successfully laid siege to Uozu and Matsukura Castle . In

324-598: The Sengoku period a samurai in the service of the Saitō clan by the name of Takenaka Hanbei went to Inabayama Castle, ostensibly to visit his sick brother. This was a ruse, and in reality, he went to the castle intending to assassinate Saitō Tatsuoki. When Hanbei struck at him, Tatsuoki was very confused—believing an enemy army had come to attack him—and fled. Thus, Takenaka Hanbei obtained Inabayama Castle with relative ease and with only 13 retainers. Later, he returned

360-450: The genpuku ritual. He then allied with Oda Nobutaka and Takigawa Kazumasu against Toyotomi Hideyoshi who was allied with Oda Nobukatsu . Tension quickly escalated between Hideyoshi and Katsuie, and the following year they clashed at the Battle of Shizugatake . In 1583, Katsuie sent his nephew Sakuma Morimasa to besiege Takayama Ukon and Nakagawa Kiyohide at Shizugatake . Morimasa ignored Shibata's orders to withdraw to Ōiwa and

396-609: The 1575 Battle of Nagashino and 1577 Battle of Tedorigawa . Katsuie was born in the village of Kamiyashiro (present-day Meitō-ku, Nagoya ), a branch of the Shiba clan (who descended from the Ashikaga clan , and were the former suzerains of the Oda clan ). Note the differences between Shibata ( 柴田 ) , Shiba ( 斯波 ) , and the Shibata clan of Echigo ( 新発田 ) . Katsuie was the retainer of Oda Nobuyuki . In 1554, Katsuie took part in

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432-469: The Gifu Castle Archives Museum offers insight into the history behind the castle and the mountain. The Observation Deck Restaurant offers visitors a panoramic view of the city, in addition to hot meals. There is an observation deck on top of the restaurant that provides a view that cannot be seen from Gifu Castle. Also, in the Mt. Kinka Squirrel Village, visitors can play with and feed squirrels while learning about

468-453: The bus stop for Gifu Park and the Museum of History ( Gifu Kōen, Rekishi Hakubutsukan-mae ). Mount Kinka (Gifu) Mt. Kinka ( 金華山 , Kinka-zan ) , also known as Kinkazan , is located in the heart of the city of Gifu , Gifu Prefecture , Japan , and rises to a height of 329 m (1,079 ft). Previously called Mt. Inaba ( 稲葉山 , Inaba-yama ) , it has long served as

504-500: The castle to his lord, but Tatsuoki had lost an immeasurable amount of reputation and honor due to his perceived cowardly flight from the castle and many of his retainers left his service. In 1567, Oda Nobunaga launched an attack on Mino Province from Sunomata Castle , led his forces across the Kiso River, and marched straight to the castle town of Inoguchi (now Gifu city) attracting the support of many former Saitō retainers along

540-518: The form of an adventurer from Kyoto who assumed the name of Saitō Dōsan . Also known as the "Viper of Mino", Saitō Dōsan ruthlessly overcame his enemies, expelled the Toki clan, and defeated an invasion from neighboring Owari Province led by Oda Nobuhide . Saitō Dōsan was killed in a revolt by his own son, Saitō Yoshitatsu . Although Yoshiyasu showed promise as a ruler, he died at the age of 34, leaving Inabayama Castle to his son Saitō Tatsuoki . During

576-499: The four species inside the Squirrel Village. Additionally, there are many attractions at the base of Mt. Kinka. Shibata Katsuie Shibata Katsuie ( 柴田 勝家 , 1522 – June 14, 1583) or Gonroku ( 権六 ) was a Japanese samurai and military commander during the Sengoku period . He served Oda Nobunaga as one of his trusted generals, was severely wounded in the 1571 first siege of Nagashima , but then fought in

612-463: The life of Katsuie. Katsuie pledged his services to Nobunaga, earning his praises. In 1556, According to the records from Tosho Gunkan , Sakai Tadatsugu defends Fukutani castle which besieged by 2,000 cavalry troops of Oda clan led by Shibata Katsuie. Tadatsugu manage to repel the forces of Katsuie as he led a sallying forces outside the castle and routing them. In 1560, he was commander of Nobunaga's main forces against Imagawa Yoshimoto at

648-582: The main keep at the top. Gifu Castle was given to his son, Oda Nobutada , who was also killed along with his father by the forces of Akechi Mitsuhide at the Honnō-ji Incident in 1582. Toyotomi Hideyoshi then awarded the castle to Nobunaga's third son, Oda Nobutaka . However, Nobutaka later sided with Shibata Katsuie against Hideyoshi and was forced to commit seppuku at Gifu Castle. Hideyoshi then placed Oda Hidenobu , Nobutada's son, in charge of Gifu Castle. After Hideyoshi's death, Hidenobu overruled

684-496: The meantime, Oda Nobunaga and his eldest son and heir, Nobutada , were killed in the Honnō-ji incident by the forces of his former retainer Akechi Mitsuhide . Later in 1582, after the death of Nobunaga, in a meeting at Kiyosu Castle to determine Nobunaga's successor, Katsuie initially supported the choice of Samboshi , Nobunaga's grandson. but he later supported Oda Nobutaka , Nobunaga's third son, for whom Katsuie had performed

720-439: The mountain. In 2005, the top of the mountain was renovated, adding lights and walkways to improve the ease of use to visitors of the castle. The new signs provide additional information about the castle and the surrounding structures, while the lights add to the allure of the castle's panoramic night viewing. Mt. Kinka has four marked trails for hikers who wish to walk to the top of the mountain. The other option for reaching

756-469: The objections of his retainers, and sided with Ishida Mitsunari against the forces of Tokugawa Ieyasu . The subsequent Battle of Gifu Castle in 1600 served as a prelude to both the Battle of Sekigahara and the fall of Gifu Castle after a siege of only one day. Hidenobu was expelled to live the rest of his days as a monk at Mount Koya . With the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate , Gifu Castle

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792-511: The old bridge across the Nagara river. The keep burnt down in an accident in 1943. The current version of the main keep of Gifu Castle is a concrete and steel structure that was built in the 1950s based on original drawings and plans, albeit with some changes. Inside the reconstructed keep is a museum with three floors containing exhibits representing the castle's past. With maps, weapons, pictures and other artifacts on display, visitors can recreate

828-527: The representative symbol of Gifu. It stands along the Nagara River , creating bountiful nature within the city. Though it is the most famous mountain in the city, Mount Dodo , to the north, is the tallest. First built by the Nikaidō family during the Kamakura period , Gifu Castle atop Mt. Kinka has gone through many forms, with the current building being constructed in 1956. One of its first major residents

864-569: The right wing among the three groups along with Sakuma Nobumori . In 1575, he fought in the Battle of Nagashino against Takeda Katsuyori . He and Hashiba Hideyoshi protected the left flank. In 1576, after gaining control of Echizen , he took command of Kitanosho Castle (Hokujō) and was ordered to conquer the Hokuriku region . In 1577, Nobunaga sent an army led by Shibata Katsuie and some of his most experienced generals to reinforce Shigetsura from Noto province against Uesugi Kenshin at

900-512: The story of Gifu Castle. On the top floor of the castle, an observation deck, with a 360-degree panoramic view of the surrounding area, including the Nagara River and Nagoya . At various points throughout the year, the castle is also open to night viewing, providing an awe-inspiring view of the city. The newly opened Gifu City Tower 43 also provides panoramic views of the city and is open late year-round; however, its views are limited to only

936-579: The summer night! O bird of the mountain, Carry my name beyond the clouds." Shibata Katsuie is a playable character in Koei Tecmo 's Samurai Warriors 2: Empires and all subsequent Samurai Warriors , the Warriors Orochi games, and Sengoku Basara 4 . He appears in Nioh 2 and Fate/Grand Order as a side character. http://www.samurai-archives.com/katsuie.html Archived 2007-07-16 at

972-522: The summit is by taking the Mt. Kinka Ropeway , which first opened in 1955. This ropeway enables visitors to reach the top of the mountain in less than five minutes. The hours of operation for the ropeway vary depending on the seasons throughout the year, but it is generally open from 9:00am to 6:00pm. On weekdays, it runs every 15 minutes, while on weekends and holidays, it runs every 10 minutes. Mt. Kinka has three main attractions at its summit. Gifu Castle and

1008-415: The unguarded rear, and opened the front gates, allowing the attacking forces to enter. After Tatsuoki fled, Nobunaga made the castle his primary base-of-operations. Nobunaga renamed the stronghold "Gifu Castle," following an example set by an ancient Chinese practice. Nobunaga then proceeded to renovate the castle into a far more impressive and grandiose structure than its previous incarnation. He constructed

1044-558: The walls of the museum. Mount Kinkazan offers hiking trails of varying difficulty to Gifu Castle and take approximately one hour. Visitors can also take the Mt. Kinka Ropeway that originates in Gifu Park to the mountain's summit, from which Gifu Castle is just a short walk away. To get to Gifu Park, you can board buses operated by Gifu Bus at either JR Gifu Station (Bus Platform 11 or 12) or Meitetsu Gifu Station (Bus Platform 4). The bus takes approximately 15 minutes to get to

1080-405: The way. Nobunaga laid siege to Inabayama Castle on 13 September. Even though the defenders were demoralized to see the banners of Saitō retainers among the attacking army, the mountaintop castle was still in a nearly impregnable position. The siege took about two weeks. Near the end of the siege, Nobunaga's retainer Kinoshita Tōkichirō led a small party up the steep cliffs, entered the castle from

1116-417: Was Saitō Dōsan , who lived in the castle when it was still being called Inabayama Castle and the mountain was still called Mt. Inaba . The next resident of the castle, Oda Nobunaga , changed the castle's name at the same time that he changed the name of the surrounding town and the mountain. The castle eventually fell into disrepair and vanished from Gifu's skyline. However, it was rebuilt in 1956 and that

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1152-518: Was at Chōkō-ji castle, under siege by 4,000 soldiers of the Rokkaku clan . Katsuie eventually won via an all-out attack, forcing the Rokkaku to retreat. This action, along with a series of brilliant victories, gained him renown as the " Oni Shibata", or "Demon Shibata". In 1571, he fought in the first Siege of Nagashima and was severely wounded. In 1573, when Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki , who

1188-439: Was awarded to Ieyasu's son-in-law, Okudaira Nobumasa . However, due to its poor state of repair, Nobumasa decided to abolish Gifu Castle and to relocate to at the base of the mountain, and built Kanō Castle in 1603. Some of the structures of Gifu Castle, such as its largest three-storey yagura were dismantled and re-erected at the new location. The main keep was rebuilt in the 1910s with wooden building material repurposed from

1224-475: Was captured and beheaded by Toyotomi Hideyoshi 's returning forces. Katsuie was defeated and retreated back into Echizen, all the way to Kitanosho Castle , which was taken in 3 days. During the siege, Katsuie implored his wife, Oichi , to take their daughters and leave, but she decided to stay and die with him, while letting their daughters escape. After setting fire to his castle, Katsuie committed seppuku . His death poem was: "Fleeting dream paths, In

1260-583: Was first built by the Nikaidō clan between 1201 and 1204 during the Kamakura period . Originally little more than a small fort, it was reconstructed on a much larger scale in the Muromachi period by Saitō Toshinaga (d.1460). Toshinaga had served the title of shugo of Mino Province, but due to internal conflicts, the Saitō clan had been supplanted in turn by the Toki clan . The clan's fortunes were restored in

1296-648: Was protected by the Mori clan , built an anti-Nobunaga network, Katsuie fought against Yoshiaki's forces in various places including Omi Province and Settsu Province as a powerful military commander of the Oda army. Later, He took part in the Siege of Ichijodani Castle and also in the Second Siege of Nagashima right after that, but he pulled back again. In 1574, he took part in the third Siege of Nagashima . He commanded

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