Sakamoto Castle

Lore & Background

After the Siege of Mount Hiei, Sakamoto was given to Akechi Mitsuhide, who built Sakamoto Castle under orders from Oda Nobunaga because Sakamoto was a strategically important place to rule. Luís Fróis described the castle as the second best castle in Japan at the time.

After the loss of the Battle of Yamazaki, Mitsuhide tried to return to the castle but was killed on the way. Surrounded by Toyotomi's army, Mitsuhide's adopted son Akechi Hidemitsu set fire to the castle and killed himself. In 1583, the castle was given to Niwa Nagahide, who rebuilt it. In 1586, Asano Nagamasa abandoned the castle and moved to Ōtsu Castle by Toyotomi Hideyoshi's order, with stones and materials transferred to Ōtsu Castle.

Reader's Guide

Sakamoto Castle is significant as a Sengoku-period fortress built by Akechi Mitsuhide, a key vassal of Oda Nobunaga, at a strategically important lakeside location. Its description by the Jesuit missionary Luís Fróis as the second best castle in Japan highlights its contemporary reputation. The castle's history is closely tied to the fall of Akechi Mitsuhide after the Battle of Yamazaki, when his adopted son Hidemitsu burned the castle and committed suicide rather than surrender. Later, the castle was rebuilt by Niwa Nagahide and eventually abandoned by Asano Nagamasa, with its materials reused for Ōtsu Castle. Today, nothing remains of the original structure except a low stone wall visible when Lake Biwa's water level drops. A statue of Akechi Mitsuhide stands in the castle's park, and a gate was relocated to Saikyō-ji Temple, where the Akechi clan's tombs are also located. The castle's legacy endures as a symbol of the turbulent Sengoku period and the rise and fall of its commanders.

Did You Know?

• After the Battle of Yamazaki, Akechi Mitsuhide was killed on his way back to the castle.
• A gate from Sakamoto Castle was relocated to Saikyō-ji Temple, which also holds the Akechi clan's tombs.