Matsuyama Castle (Iyo)

The castle tower (rear) of Matsuyama

The Matsuyama Castle ( (伊 予)松山 城, ( Iyo ) Matsuyama - jo ), also castle Katsuyama (胜 山城, Katsuyama - jo ) and "Golden Tortoise castle " (金 亀 城, Kinki - jo ) is a Japanese castle in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture.

History

Katō Yoshiaki received a fief in 1595 ( 60,000 koku ) in the area of present-day Matsuyama and moved into the castle Masaki. After the Battle of Sekigahara he was upgraded to 200,000 koku and built a large fortress on the Katsuyama, including residence at the foot of the mountain. For this purpose, the castle town was laid out with their rectangular street pattern in the plane schedule. 1627 Katō was transferred to Aizu Wakamatsu -, which, in turn, the local lord of the manor Gamo Tadatomo Matsuyama received as a fief. Since the line Gamo already extinct in 1634, the fief was the 1635 Hisamatsu ( a Matsudaira branch ) transferred koku with a grant of 150,000. The Hisamatsu remained over 16 generations lords of the castle until the Meiji Restoration. They also provided the princes of Kuwana.

The castle consists of an elongated Honmaru on the hill, which ended in a square with the castle tower. At the feet of the residence was in the Ni -no- Maru and before the extensive San -no- Maru, surrounded by a wide moat ( see above). There homes of vassals and staff were. As the feud return at the beginning of the Meiji period to the Tennō or to de state and public property as was the area of ​​the San -no- Maru for a park could be used, which also houses a stadium, a baseball stadium and the picture gallery of the prefecture are. The grounds of the residence has been prepared in recent years a little again.

Overlooking the San -no- Maru