Ogaki Castle

Ogaki, Japan, Japan

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Ogaki Castle, located in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, was originally built in 1535 by Miyagawa Yasusada, a retainer of the Toki clan.

Strategically situated near the confluence of three rivers, it utilized natural water defenses with a large moat system. The castle played a pivotal role during the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, serving as the headquarters for Ishida Mitsunari of the Western Army.

After Mitsunari was drawn out to fight, the castle was besieged and surrendered; subsequently, Tokugawa Ieyasu appointed his commanders to control it. In 1635, the Toda clan took control and ruled until the Meiji Restoration. The castle featured a rare four-story main keep, reconstructed in 1959 and renovated in 2002, which houses a museum with exhibits on the castle’s history and the Battle of Sekigahara.

Today, the reconstructed castle stands as a symbol of Ogaki and offers panoramic views of the surrounding castle town.