Toyoda Castle

Joso, Japan, Japan

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Toyoda Castle in Joso, Japan, was originally built in 1346 by Toyoda Yoshimoto as a fortified residence.

During the Sengoku period, its lord Toyoda Masachika allied with the Oda clan and fought in regional conflicts, particularly against the Tagaya clan, who eventually assassinated Masachika in 1578 leading to the castle's fall to the Tagaya. The castle was abandoned in 1601.

Today, a large reconstructed tenshu-style tower built in 1989 stands not on the original site but houses a local cultural exchange center with exhibits on the clan’s history and the region. The original castle ruins lie about 1.5 km southeast of the reconstruction, marked by a historic site near the Kokai River.

Toyoda Castle symbolizes the area's samurai heritage and is connected to local legends, including reverence for the 10th-century rebel Taira no Masakado, who influenced the region’s samurai culture.