Revolutionizing Castles: Nobunaga’s Vision in Warriors Building Castles

Who was the man who had the greatest influence on castles during the Edo period?

However, during the Edo period, as the country entered a time of peace, there were fewer opportunities for castles to evolve significantly. The role of castles shifted from being places of defense to serving as administrative centers. So, who is the person most credited with the history of castles?

“I believe the person who had the greatest influence on castles during the Edo period was Tōdō Takatora. He served Toyotomi Hidenaga and his brother Hideyoshi, and it’s likely that he honed his skills while watching and assisting in the construction of various castles. The person who made the most use of his castle-building techniques was Tokugawa Ieyasu.

As Ieyasu unified the country, he ordered many daimyo to construct castles in various regions. The design and construction of the castles for the ruler of the land were primarily undertaken by Tōdō Takatora. He was involved in many castles, including Kameyama Castle, Edo Castle, Sunpu Castle, and Nagoya Castle.

Takatora’s castles were characterized by high stone walls, wide moats, and a unique entrance design called masugata toraguchi. This masugata toraguchi entrance structure surrounded the enemy entering through the castle gate with stone walls and strong gates on three sides, allowing for attacks from above. He also developed the five-story keep and created a combined keep design that featured a large keep alongside smaller ones, as well as surrounding structures resembling longhouses (multiple gates) to establish an impenetrable defense. This type of castle construction became a foundational model for later designs. It’s clear how significant Takatora’s influence was.”

Furthermore, figures like Katō Kiyomasa and Katō Yoshiaki also constructed impressive castles. According to Kawai, their castle-building techniques were honed during the invasions of Korea.