Amagasaki Castle

Japanese: 尼崎城 - あまがさきじょう

Hirajiro Castle was located in Kitajo Castle, Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture. It was one of the castles built for the defense of the Kinai region during the Edo period. In 1617 (Genwa 3), Toda Ujikane, a hereditary warlord, was given 50,000 koku of land from Zeze Castle in Omi ( Shiga ). Toda Ujikane was known as a skilled castle builder, and was ordered by the shogunate to build a castle as part of the defense of the Kinai region, and the following year he built Amagasaki Castle. Amagasaki Castle was a modern castle with a four-story castle tower in the center, and the Ninomaru, Matsunomaru, Nishisannomaru, and Higashisannomaru were arranged in a spiral shape. After the Toda clan, the Aoyama clan continued for four generations and the Sakurai Matsudaira clan for seven generations, until the Meiji period. Currently, the site of the Honmaru is the site of the Municipal Meijyo Elementary School (formerly Jonai Elementary School) and the Municipal Seiryo Junior High School (formerly Jonai Junior High School). A miniature model of the castle tower and corner turret is installed next to the main gate of the elementary school. It is a 5-minute walk from Amagasaki Station on the Hanshin Main Line.

Source: Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japanese Castles Information

Japanese:

兵庫県尼崎市北城内にあった平城(ひらじろ)。江戸時代に畿内防備のために築城された城の一つ。1617年（元和3）、譜代の武将戸田氏鉄(うじかね)が近江（滋賀）の膳所城(ぜぜじょう)から5万石で入封した。戸田氏鉄は築城の巧者といわれ、幕府から畿内防備の一環として築城を命じられ、翌年尼崎城を築いた。尼崎城は4層の天守を持つ本丸を中心に、二の丸・松の丸・西三の丸・東三の丸をらせん状に配置した近世城郭であった。戸田氏の後は青山氏4代、桜井松平氏7代と続き、明治にいたる。現在、本丸跡は市立明城(めいじょう)小学校（旧城内小学校）と市立成良(せいりょう)中学校（旧城内中学校）の敷地になっている。小学校の正門横に、天守閣や隅櫓(すみやぐら)のミニチュア模型が設置されている。阪神電鉄本線尼崎駅から徒歩5分。

出典　講談社日本の城がわかる事典について　情報

<<: Amagasaki Steel Works Dispute

>>: Rain Shadow Desert