Kitanosho Castle was the stronghold of Shibata Katsuie, ruler of Echizen Province. In 1583, Katsuie was defeated here by Toyotomi Hideyoshi at the Battle of Shizugatake, and it became the site of his final stand: he and his wife, Lady Oichi, set the keep ablaze and took their own lives in a dramatic end. With this victory, Hideyoshi further consolidated his position as Nobunaga's successor.

Kitanosho Castle was built around 1575 by Shibata Katsuie after Oda Nobunaga rewarded him with Echizen Province for pacifying it. As one of Nobunaga's leading retainers entrusted with defending the Hokuriku region, Katsuie erected a magnificent nine-story keep, said to be the grandest of its era, making the castle a stronghold in Nobunaga's campaign to unify Japan.

Shibata Katsuie built Kitanosho Castle around 1575 and governed Echizen Province for eleven years. After Nobunaga's death he clashed with Toyotomi Hideyoshi over succession, and was defeated at the Battle of Shizugatake in 1583. He tried to save his wife Oichi and her three daughters but could not, and died together with Oichi in the flames. This site, where the legendary nine-storey tower burned to the ground, was the place of Katsuie's final stand.