Kagoshima Castle


Kagoshima Castle, also known as Tsurumaru Castle, is a Japanese castle in Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.

History

This castle was constructed by Matsudaira Iehisa in 1601. In 1600 Shimazu Yoshihiro, the father of Iehisa, was defeated at the Battle of Sekigahara as a daimyō of the western alliance, by the eastern alliance led by Tokugawa Ieyasu. This castle was built after the defeat and in the severe political tension with Ieyasu.
This castle is notable for the small scale and fairly poor quality as a main castle of one of the richest daimyōs in Japan. It is said that Shimazu was afraid of giving the Tokugawa an excuse to attack Shimazu territory by making too large a castle.
The castle is now only ruins, with moats and stone walls. Otemon Gate was reconstructed in 2018. Reimeikan, Kagoshima Prefectural Center for Historical Material is located on the site.

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