Echizen-Fuchū Castle
Echizen-Fuchū Castle was a flatland-style Japanese castle located in what is now part of the city of Echizen, Fukui Prefecture, Japan. The castle fell into ruins during the Sengoku period and the site was completely built over in the modern era, so nothing remains today.History
By its name, the original Echizen-Fuchū Castle is thought to have been built on the "Fuchū", or site of the Nara period provincial capital of Echizen Province. This fortified residence was subsequently used by the Shugo, or military governors of the province in the Heian through Kamakura period. However, with the rise of the Asakura clan to power, the center of government for Echizen Province shifted to Ichijōdani, and the Asakura appointed a local magistrate who resided at Fuchū.
During the Sengoku period, Oda Nobunaga invaded and conquered the province and crushed the Ikkō-ikki movement. Afterwards, Echizen was divided between three of his generals: Fuwa Mitsuharu, Sassa Narimasa, and Maeda Toshiie, with Maeda Toshiie rebuilding Echizen-Fuchū Castle in 1575. Maeda Toshiie used the nearby Hino River to create a double system of moats around the castle, with a width of 180 meters north-south and 100 meters east-west. Maeda Toshiie was subsequently transferred to Noto Province, but Echizen-Fuchū was retained by his son, Maeda Toshinaga as the center of a 100,000 koku domain until he was transferred to Kaga Province after the Battle of Shizugatake and the castle was awarded to Niwa Nagahide instead.
Following the Battle of Sekigahara, all of Echizen Province was awarded to Tokugawa Ieyasu's second son, Yūki Hideyasu as Fukui Domain. Yūki Hideyasu established his seat at Fukui Castle and installed his retainer, Honda Tomimasa as castellan of Echizen-Fuchū. Honda renovated the castle, building a two-story donjon, a residence, tea house, and other structures.
After the Meiji Restoration, the moat was filled in, the castle site became the site of an elementary school. Subsequently, the castle site was completely destroyed when the Takefu city office was constructed.
