Tottori Castle

Tottori castle 鳥取城
Tottori city, Inaba province, Japan
Type	Japanese castle
Site information
Controlled by	Ikeda clan
Condition	Ruins
Site history
Built	Year Unknown
In use	Years Unknown
Battles/wars	1581 Siege of Tottori
Garrison information
Past commanders	Nasu no Yoichi, Kajiwara Kagetoki, Kikkawa Tsuneie

Tottori Castle (鳥取城, Tottori-jō) was the central castle of the Tottori han (fief) in feudal Japan. It was a yamashiro, or "mountain-castle", built into the mountain itself, using natural obstacles and defenses to a greater extent than man-made walls. Little remains of the castle aside from parts of the stone wall, and one gate, reinforced with iron and featuring spikes on the outside of the doors to help protect against attackers.

A gate leading into the castle grounds.

In the late 12th century, following the Genpei War, the new Shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo granted the Tottori han to Nasu no Yoichi, the hero of the battle of Yashima. He lost it soon afterwards to Kajiwara Kagetoki, a spy for Yoritomo, in a hunting competition.

Tottori is perhaps best known for its siege in 1581 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, which lasted 200 days. The defenders, led by Kikkawa Tsuneie, were eventually forced to surrender due to starvation, coming just short, according to some accounts, of resorting to cannibalism. When they eventually surrendered, Hideyoshi provided food for the starving garrison but many survivors ate too quickly and died from overeating.

Outer citadel (ninomaru) of Tottori Castle.

References

• Turnbull, Stephen (2000). The Samurai Sourcebook (Reprinted ed.). London: Cassell. ISBN 1854095234. 

Literature

• Schmorleitz, Morton S. (1974). Castles in Japan. Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle Co.. ISBN 0-8048-1102-4.