Matsukura Castle

Matsukura Castle (松倉城, Matsukura-jō) was a Muromachi period yamajiro-style Japanese castle located in what is now the city of Uozu, Toyama Prefecture, in the Hokuriku region of Japan. It was one of the three major mountain-castles in Etchū Province, along with Matsuyama Castle in central Etchū and Moriyama Castle in western Etchū.

Matsukura Castle is located on Mount Matsumura, a 430.9 m (1,414 ft) peak on a ridge which a continuation of the Tateyama Mountain Range. The Uozu area is at the base of this ridge facing Toyama Bay, and was noted for its fishing industry. In addition, a gold mine also existed at Mount Mataukura, so the area was both strategically and economically important.

Matsukura Castle occupies an L-shaped ridge running north and east. The inner bailey was a rectangular area approximately about 100 meter long by 40 meter wide, and contained a building which had a foundation 40 meter square, and was surrounded by a deep dry moat, which may have been a donjon. The inner bailey is protected by a second, third and fourth enclosure in line along the ridge, each separated by a dry moat. On the western ridge is a large flat area, which may have contained the residence of the castellan, and it is surrounded by smaller flat areas, which may have continued residences for major retainers, barracks and storehouses.

Matsukura Castle was built around the year 1335 by the Bōmon clan, and later came under the control of the Momonoi clan. However, when the Momonoi suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Nagasawa in 1370, the Momonoi clan lost control of Matsukura Castle.

By the Nanboku-chō period, it became the main base of Shiina clan. The Shiina served as retainers of the Hatakeyama clan, and were appointed shugodai of Niikawa District of Etchū Province. Their main rivals were the Jinbō clan based at Toyama Castle. In the 1550s, the Jinbō clan gained ascendant over the Shiina; however, the Shiina made an alliance with Uesugi Kenshin, who captured Toyama Castle in 1570 after a fierce back-and-forth struggle. The leader of the Jinbō clan fled to Oda Nobunaga, and the Toyama area was awarded to one of Kenshin's retainers. Furious that they had been denied the Toyama are, the Shiina turned to Kenshin's rival, Takeda Shingen, for assistance in 1568. Kenshin then laid siege to Matsukura Castle, which held out for two years until 1571.

Text adapted from “Matsukura Castle” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Matsukura Castle ranks #4,601 of 8,134 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #225 of the 297 mapped in Japan. Founded 1335, it is older than 60% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 604 atlas entries founded in the 14th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 1,087 times in the last 60 days, more than 51% of the atlas. 1 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. See how Japan compares in the castle statistics.

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