Gifu Castle

岐阜県

Where Nobunaga renamed Inabayama Castle 'Gifu' and first used his 'Tenka Fubu' seal — the mountain citadel that launched his drive to unify Japan

Founded

1201

Type

Castle

Visited

Want to go

Access

15 min by bus from JR Gifu Station + ropeway

18 Kinkazan Tenshukaku, Gifu

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Info

Castle

Founded 1201

825 years

Founder

Nikaido Yukimasa (original) / Oda Nobunaga (as Gifu Castle)

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Overview

The strategic mountain castle atop Mt. Kinka (329m) from which Oda Nobunaga launched his drive for national unification. He renamed it Gifu Castle in 1567 and began using his 'Tenka Fubu' seal here, ruling from this commanding height above the Nagara River and Nobi Plain for a decade. The current donjon is a 1956 reconstruction accessible by ropeway.

Origins

The origins of Gifu Castle trace back to 1201, when Nikaidō Yukimasa is said to have constructed a fortress on Mt. Kinka, known as Inabayama Castle. The Saitō clan later developed it as their stronghold in Mino Province, and under Saitō Dōsan it became renowned as an impregnable mountain fortress. I…

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Oda Nobunaga Historic Sites: Gifu, Azuchi, and Honnoji

A guide tracing Oda Nobunaga's footsteps through Gifu Castle, Azuchi Castle ruins, Kenkun Shrine, and Honnoji, where he died in 1582. Examines surviving structures against primary sources, especially the Shincho Koki.

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The Battlefield of Sekigahara: Walking the Positions of East and West

On the fifteenth day of the ninth month of Keichō 5 (1600), the decisive battle between Tokugawa Ieyasu's Eastern Army and Ishida Mitsunari's Western Army was fought at Sekigahara. This article traces the battle's course and historical significance through five historic sites.

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Ishida Mitsunari and Sekigahara: The Loyal Retainer Who Fought for the Toyotomi

On September 15, 1600, the Battle of Sekigahara ended in less than a day with the Western Army's crushing defeat. Ishida Mitsunari had risen in defense of the Toyotomi clan, lost, and was executed — his life a microcosm of loyalty and rationality in the age of civil war.

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もっと詳しく · 2

史
Related Historical Events
— 1

1568

Nobunaga's Campaign for National Unification

In 1568, Oda Nobunaga entered Kyoto with Ashikaga Yoshiaki, using the seal "Tenka Fubu" (Spread Military Rule Under Heaven) to declare his intent for national unification. After pacifying Mino province (1567), he leveraged the shogunal authority to control the capital. He then systematically eliminated rivals — the Asakura and Azai clans, the Enryaku-ji (burned 1571), the Takeda, and the Ikkō-ikki — while implementing economic reforms such as free markets and abolishing toll barriers.

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Related Figures
— 3

Saito Dosan

Lord of Mino, Dosan the Viper

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Saito Dosan — the 'Viper of Mino' — made Inabayama Castle his stronghold as he seized control of Mino Province. He extensively developed the fortress and gave his daughter Kicho (Nohime) in marriage to Nobunaga. Dosan famously met Nobunaga near the castle and reportedly recognized his brilliance as a future ruler.

Akechi Mitsuhide

Perpetrator of the Honnoji Incident

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Mitsuhide is said to have origins in the Mino region, with traditions of early service under the Saito clan. He later served Nobunaga and participated in campaigns based from Gifu Castle, becoming one of the senior retainers who supported Nobunaga's rule of Mino.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi

Taiko, Ruler of All

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Key figure in the capture of Inabayama Castle (later Gifu Castle). He learned of a goat path from a farmer's son, led elite troops up the cliffs by moonlight, set fires before dawn, and signaled success with a gourd on his spear — creating the legendary 'Thousand Gourds' emblem.

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Visiting Information

Hours

[Normal schedule] Mar 16–May 11: 9:30 AM–5:30 PM; May 12–Oct 16: 8:30 AM–5:30 PM; Oct 17–Mar 15: 9:30 AM–4:30 PM. Open year-round. Note: the keep and museum are currently closed for seismic retrofit construction (reopening planned around Oct 2027).

Admission

Adults (age 16+) ¥200, children (age 4–15) ¥100. (Applies once the keep reopens)

As of 2026-07-17. Subject to change.

Also Worth Visiting

Jozaiji

A Nichiren temple patronized by Saito Dosan, preserving Important Cultural Property portraits of Dosan and son Yoshitatsu as primary sources for Mino's Sengoku history

1.1km

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Inaba Jinja

A Mino Province third-rank shrine revered by Dosan and Nobunaga, hosting the elaborate Donden Festival floats every spring

1.3km

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