# Toyama Castle

- **Country:** Japan
- **Coordinates:** 36.693300, 137.211000
- **Location Text:** Toyama, Toyama

Toyama Castle, also known as Azumi Castle, is a historic flatland-style Japanese fortress located in the city of Toyama within Toyama Prefecture. Originally constructed in 1543 by the Jinbō clan on the banks of the Jinzū River, the site served as a strategic stronghold in the Etchū Province during the turbulent Sengoku period. The castle's early history is defined by intense regional conflicts between the Jinbō and Shiina clans, both retainers of the declining Hatakeyama family. Control of the fortification shifted frequently through violent struggles involving prominent warlords such as Uesugi Kenshin and Oda Nobunaga. Following Nobunaga's rise to power, the castle was entrusted to his general Sassa Narimasa, who significantly expanded the complex with new moats and towers while initiating flood control projects that transformed the surrounding marshlands into fertile rice fields.

The original structure was demolished in 1871 during the Meiji Restoration, marking the end of its military use after centuries of service through the Edo period. Today, the site has been reconstructed and functions as a public park maintained by the local government. The centerpiece of the modern grounds is a mock keep tower which houses the Toyama Municipal Folk Museum, allowing visitors to explore the region's heritage. Although the current buildings are reproductions rather than original artifacts, they stand as a testament to the area's rich samurai history. The castle remains open to the public, offering a glimpse into the architectural evolution of Japanese fortifications and the dramatic political shifts that shaped the Hokuriku region over four hundred years ago.

![Photo of Toyama Castle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Toyama_Municipal_Folk_Museum_%28mock_keep_tower_of_the_Toyama_Castle%29_20180503.jpg)

**Source:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyama_Castle (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)