Aya Castle (綾城, Aya-jō) is a castle located in Aya, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan.
History
editAya was built from around 1331 to about 1334. Its name derives from the man who oversaw the construction of the castle, who referred to himself only as "Aya" (his real name was Koshiro Yoshito).[1] His family ruled over the castle until the Muromachi period, when the head of the Itō clan took over Aya Castle, which was one of 48 under their control and considered to be their most strategic against the Shimazu.[2] The Shimazu clan seized the castle following their victory over the Itō in 1577. The castle was then given to Niiro Hisatoki, one of the retainers for the Shimazu Clan.[3] Toyotomi Hideyoshi conquered the castle for a short period ten years later.[4] In 1615, however, the castle was destroyed due to a shogunal decree that every domain could have only one castle.[5]
The castle keep, or tenshu, was rebuilt in 1985 out of wood, and was based on pictures of other castles of the era. It houses a museum that has items pertaining to the castle's history.[6]
Further reading
edit- De Lange, William (2021). An Encyclopedia of Japanese Castles. Groningen: Toyo Press. pp. 600 pages. ISBN 978-9492722300.
References
edit- ^ "Sightseeing in Aya Town". Archived from the original on 2012-01-18. Retrieved 2008-04-01.
- ^ "Japanese Castle Explorer - Aya Castle - 綾城".
- ^ 日本吉 - Nippon-Kichi
- ^ "Aya Castle". Archived from the original on 2008-03-29. Retrieved 2008-04-01.
- ^ "Profile of Aya Town". Archived from the original on 2007-09-07. Retrieved 2008-04-01.
- ^ "Aya Castle". Archived from the original on 2011-05-16. Retrieved 2008-04-01.