Tamaru Castle
Tamaru Castle is a hilltop castle in Tamaki, Mie Prefecture, Japan.
History
Tamaru Castle was built by Kitabatake Chikafusa in 1336, after Emperor Go-Daigo had established the Southern Court, as a defence against the rival forces of the Northern Court. During the civil war of the Nanboku-chō period, a number of battles were fought over the castle. Eventually, the Kitabatake Clan established themselves in the castle.
Later, the castle fell under the control of Oda Nobunaga's second son, Oda Nobukatsu, who commissioned the addition of a stone wall and castle tower. These were completed in 1575, just before Nobunaga's construction of Azuchi Castle, which is also known to have featured a tower. As such, Tamaru Castle is thought to be the first Japanese castle to include a tower.
The castle was damaged by fire in 1580 and, like many castles in Japan, was dismantled in the Meiji period.
The castle was listed as one of the Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles in 2017.The site currently features baileys, walls and a moat section, with no building still standing.
