Takaoka Castle

Takaoka Castle is a historic castle site in Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture. Today, it is known as Takaoka Kojo Park. In 1609, Toshinaga Maeda, the second lord of the Kaga Maeda family, built the castle as his residence for retirement. His former residence, Toyama Castle, had been destroyed by fire. Ukon Takayama is said to have designed the castle.

Toshinaga died in 1614. The following year, the castle was abandoned under an order issued by the Tokugawa shogunate. The Kaga Domain continued to manage the site and used parts of it for rice storehouses and other facilities.

One of the main features of Takaoka Castle is its extensive water moats and earthen ramparts. The moats separate different sections of the castle, including the Honmaru, or main enclosure, and the Ninomaru, or second enclosure. The castle also had defensive structures called umadashi, which helped protect its entrances. It remains unclear whether a castle keep was ever built.

In 1875, the site became a public park and has been preserved ever since. In 2015, Takaoka Castle Ruins were designated a National Historic Site. Visitors can enjoy cherry blossoms in spring and colorful foliage in autumn. Nearby, Zuiryuji Temple, a National Treasure and the family temple of Toshinaga Maeda, is also worth visiting.

Overview

No	33 (Best 100 Castles)
Name	Takaoka Castle
Address	Kojo, Takaoka City, Toyama, 933-0044
Japanese address	〒933-0044　富山県高岡市古城

Map of the Takaoka Castle

*The pin position on the map is automatically obtained by the system, so the position may differ.