Tottori Castle

Tottori Castle (Tottorijō), located on Mount Kyūshō in Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture, is a yamajiro (mountain castle) that originated in the Sengoku period and remained active through the Edo period. Also known as Kyūshō Castle or Kyūshōzan Castle, it is famous for its structure that makes full use of the surrounding terrain. Today, remains such as the main keep base, stone walls, moats, and wells are preserved, and the site is designated a National Historic Site. Because it clearly illustrates the transformation of Japanese castles from the Sengoku era to the early modern period, it is often called a “museum of castles.”

The origins of Tottori Castle date back to the mid-16th century, when it was held by the Yamana clan, lords of Inaba Province. Control of the castle shifted among the Takeda, Amago, and Mōri clans, until the 1570s when it became the focus of Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s campaigns against the Mōri on behalf of Oda Nobunaga. In 1581, Hideyoshi carried out a brutal starvation siege against Tottori Castle, cutting off supplies and forcing the defenders and residents into severe hunger. The castle’s lord, Kikkawa Tsuneie, ultimately committed seppuku, and the castle surrendered. This event, known as the “Starvation at Tottori Castle” (Tottorijō Koue-goroshi), is one of the most famous examples of siege warfare by starvation in Japanese history.

After its surrender, the castle was taken over by Miyabe Keijun, who became its castellan and developed it as an important base for Oda’s control of the San’in region. Under Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the Miyabe clan continued to improve the castle. Following the Battle of Sekigahara, the Ikeda clan was granted control of Tottori, and they transformed the fortress into a full-scale early modern castle suitable for a major daimyo. In 1617, Ikeda Mitsumasa expanded the castle and developed the surrounding castle town, establishing Tottori Castle as the political center of Inaba Province.

After the Meiji Restoration, the Castle Abolition Ordinance led to the demolition of most of its buildings in the 1870s, leaving only parts of the stone walls and the Nakashikirimon Gate. The gate collapsed in 1975 but was soon rebuilt in wood. Today, the castle ruins serve as a recreational and cultural space for residents and visitors. In 1993, a bronze statue of Kikkawa Tsuneie was erected to honor his determination during the siege. In 2006, Tottori Castle was listed among the “100 Fine Castles of Japan.”

In recent years, Tottori City has launched a long-term preservation and reconstruction project, aiming over thirty years to restore parts of the castle to their original form. The Ōtemon Gate has already been reconstructed and opened to the public, with future plans including the wooden reconstruction of the San-kai-yagura (three-story turret) and other facilities.