Hitoyoshi Castle Site
The stone ramparts with original sections from the late sixteenth century, and the reconstructed parapets, battlements, and gates convey a sense of Hitoyoshi Castle as it appeared between 1589 and 1871. Visitors can explore the grounds, including the Ninomaru (“second enclosure”) complex where there was a palace for the family of the ruling lord. The Ninomaru grounds command unobstructed views of the city and the Kuma River.
The Sagara family ruled Hitoyoshi Kuma for 37 generations, from the late twelfth to late nineteenth century. The castle began as a hilltop fortress that relied on natural topography as its main means of defense and was modified over the centuries. The most significant changes were made by Sagara Nagatsune (1469–1518), the twentieth lord. Nagatsune commissioned defensive stone ramparts, added fortifications, and expanded the castle to connect it to the Hitoyoshi Kuma river.