Fukuchiyama Castle

Fukuchiyama Castle 福知山城
Fukuchiyama, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
The tenshu (keep) of Fukuchiyama Castle
Fukuchiyama Castle 福知山城 Show map of Kyoto Prefecture Fukuchiyama Castle 福知山城 Show map of Japan
Type	hilltop
Site information
Owner	City of Fukuchiyama
Condition	Tenshu and a few other buildings reconstructed
Site history
Built	1572
Built by	Yokoyama clan
In use	1572-1872
Materials	stone, earthwork, wood
Demolished	1872
Garrison information
Occupants	Yokoyama clan, Akechi Mitsuhide

Toyoiwa-no-I

Fukuchiyama Castle (福知山城, Fukuchiyama-jō) is a castle located in Fukuchiyama, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.

History

Fukuchiyama Castle was originally built and ruled by the Yokoyama family.^[1] Following the capture of Tanba in 1576, Akechi Mitsuhide reconstructed the castle on the foundations of the older fortification in 1580. However, the castle buildings, along with many other castle buildings in Japan, were mostly dismantled in 1872 during the Meiji Restoration in the Japanese government's attempts to modernize Japan.^[2]

Today

In 1986, the tenshu, or keep, of Fukuchiyama Castle was re-built following a spirited campaign by residents of the city of Fukuchiyama. It now serves as a local history museum. Also, a well named Toyoiwa-no-I is located in the castle, and is the deepest well of any castle in Japan. Many original stone walls still stand.

The Castle was listed as one of the Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles in 2017.^[3]

Sources

• Welcome to Kyoto website
• Kansai collection^{[permanent dead link‍]}

Literature

• De Lange, William (2021). An Encyclopedia of Japanese Castles. Groningen: Toyo Press. pp. 600 pages. ISBN 978-9492722300.
• Schmorleitz, Morton S. (1974). Castles in Japan. Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle Co. ISBN 0-8048-1102-4.

References

1. Welcome to Kyoto – Fukuchiyama Castle Folk Museum Archived 2008-03-15 at the Wayback Machine
2. Kansai Collection^{[permanent dead link‍]}
3. "続日本100名城" (in Japanese). 日本城郭協会. Retrieved 25 July 2019.

35°17′48″N 135°07′47″E