CastleFlatland castle (hirajiro)Next 100 Fine Castles No. 155
What makes this castle distinctive
Right up to the eve of the decisive battle at Sekigahara, this castle was Ishida Mitsunari's headquarters for the Western Army.
Why?
In 1600 the castle's lord, Ito Morimasa, sided with the Western Army, and Ishida Mitsunari and the army's main force moved in. On the day before the decisive battle, the Western Army won a skirmish at the nearby Kuise River. Even after the main force left for Sekigahara, fierce fighting went on at the castle. From the keep's top floor you can look toward Okayama (today's Katsuyama), where the Eastern Army camped.[1][2][6]
The four-tiered, four-story keep's windows, roofs and walls; compare them with pre-war photos.
Why it's interesting
The Edo-period keep was named a National Treasure in 1936 but burned in an air raid in July 1945. The city says that a 2010 renovation restored the exterior of the 1959 rebuilt keep and the Inui corner turret to their pre-war appearance. The wooden keep of Gujo Hachiman Castle was modeled on Ogaki before the fire.[1][3][5]
Can you see it?
Visible from outsideThe exterior is free to see; entry is paid.
The gate with a building over it and the stone walls on either side.
Why it's interesting
This was the Uchiyanagi Gate, one of the castle's seven outer gates, moved here when the keep was rebuilt. In a castle that lost so much in the war, it is a place to sense the Edo-period buildings.[2]
First-floor displays on Sekigahara and Ogaki Castle, including a diorama of the Kuise River skirmish, and the city view from the fourth-floor lookout.
Why it's interesting
There is a decree signed by commanders from both armies, and matchlocks, spears and bows you can hold. Looking from the top toward where the Eastern Army camped makes it clear how close the battle came to being fought at Ogaki.[1][2]
Can you see it?
Visible from outsideRequires a keep ticket.
At a glance for visitors
Nearest station
7 min walk from JR Ogaki Station, South Exit
Climb
No climb
Time neededEditors' estimate
About an hour for the keep and park; 1.5 hours with the Local History Museum
Admission
Adults 200 yen (joint ticket with the Local History Museum), groups 100 yen; 400 yen for three facilities including the Basho museum. Free for under-18s, Ogaki residents 65+, and holders of disability certificates with a caregiver.
Hours
9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Access
Open to visitors
Ogaki Park is free to walk around. Entry to the keep is paid (a joint ticket with the Local History Museum).
Ogaki Castle is said to have been built in 1535 by Miyagawa Yasusada of the Toki clan, the military governors of Mino. A flatland castle, it was protected by several rings of water-filled moats. The Suimon River still flows along what was once the outer moat.[1][2]
02
Historical record
Western Army headquarters at Sekigahara
In the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, the Western Army under Ishida Mitsunari made Ogaki Castle its base. Fierce fighting went on here even after the main force moved to Sekigahara, and the local tourism association describes Ogaki as the place where the decisive battle was expected to be fought. A woman named Oamu is said to have escaped the nearly fallen castle by floating across the moat in a wooden tub, a story passed down as the Oamu Monogatari.[1][2]
03
Historical record
Seat of the Toda family
From 1635 the Toda family, starting with Toda Ujikane, ruled Ogaki with a domain of 100,000 koku for 11 generations until the Meiji era. The castle then is said to have been more than three times its present size, with about ten turrets.[1][2]
04
Historical record
A National Treasure lost in an air raid
The keep survived the castle's abolition in the Meiji era and was named a National Treasure in 1936. But in July 1945 the keep and other buildings burned in an air raid. Most of the moats were filled in, and the area of the main and second enclosures is now Ogaki Park.[1][6]
05
Historical record
Rebuilt in 1959, exterior restored in 2010
In April 1959 a four-tiered, four-story keep was rebuilt. Its exterior differed in places from the pre-war keep, but a 2010 renovation restored the pre-fire exterior, mainly on the keep and the Inui corner turret. In 2017 the castle was named one of the Zoku Nihon 100 Meijo.[1][3][6]
Renovation restores the pre-fire exterior of the keep and Inui turret[3]
Buildings and remains
The keep today
Exterior restored
Burned in 1945 and rebuilt in 1959 (the city's word is "rebuilt"). In the city's words, the 2010 renovation "restored the exterior as it was before the war fire," mainly on the keep and the Inui turret. Inside are exhibits and a lookout.
The site today
The main and second enclosures are now Ogaki Park, with the keep, corner turrets and a gate. The rest is city streets; part of the outer moat survives as the Suimon River.
Main buildings
Exterior restored
Keep (tenshu)
Rebuilt 1959; pre-fire exterior restored 2010. Four tiers, four stories.[1][3]
Exterior restored
Inui corner turret
Built in reinforced concrete after the war and brought closer to its pre-war appearance in 2010.[3][6]
Modern reconstruction
Ushitora corner turret
A National Treasure with the keep until lost in the war; rebuilt in 1985.[2]
Original, relocated
East Gate (former Uchiyanagi Gate)
One of the castle's seven outer gates, moved here when the keep was rebuilt.[2]
Key facts
Type
Castle
Setting
Flatland castle (hirajiro)built on flat ground, defended by moatsEditorial article
Period
Medieval (c.1185–1570s), Early modern (1570s–1871)Editorial article
Keep (tenshu)
Exterior restoredthe outside follows historical records; the inside is a modern building, often a museumEditorial article
Built
1535Japan Castle Foundation
Main lords
Hashiba clan, Toda clan, Ikeda clan, Ujiie clan, Itō family, Hisamatsu clanJapan Castle Foundation
Abandoned
1871Wikipedia (ja)
Remains to see
Stone walls, Baileys / enclosures (kuruwa), Turrets or turret bases, Gates, MoatsEditorial article
Designation
Ogaki City Historic Site (per the Japan Castle Foundation list)Editorial article
Selection
Next 100 Fine Castles No. 155Japan Castle Foundation
Visiting
Access
Open to visitors
Ogaki Park is free to walk around. Entry to the keep is paid (a joint ticket with the Local History Museum).
About 7 minutes on foot from the South Exit, on flat ground.[1]
Checked: 2026-10-03
Hours and admission
Ogaki Castle keep
Hours
9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Closed
Tuesdays (or the next day if a holiday), the day after a holiday (with some exceptions), and December 29 – January 3
Admission
Adults 200 yen (joint ticket with the Local History Museum), groups 100 yen; 400 yen for three facilities including the Basho museum. Free for under-18s, Ogaki residents 65+, and holders of disability certificates with a caregiver.[1]
About 15 minutes from Ogaki IC on the Meishin Expressway. There is no castle car park; use city lots such as Marunouchi or Higashi-sotogawa (100 yen per 30 minutes).[1]
Checked: 2026-10-03
Grounds opening hours
Not confirmedChecked: 2026-10-03
Time neededEditors' estimate
About an hour for the keep and park; 1.5 hours with the Local History Museum
Displays materials of the Toda lords and a 1:200 model of the castle; joint ticket with the castle.[4]
Checked: 2026-10-03
Editors' guide
An editorial guide based on sources and confirmed information — not a first-hand visit report.
Who will enjoy it
Good for anyone interested in the Battle of Sekigahara and for those who want an easy walk from the station. Pair it with the Sekigahara battlefield to follow the story.
What makes it interesting
Look at photos of the pre-war keep, then compare them with today's; seeing how far the 2010 renovation brought back the old look is the fun part. Don't miss the Sekigahara exhibits on the first floor and the view from the fourth.
Before you go
The keep burned in 1945; today's building is a 1959 reconstruction with exterior restoration in 2010. Closed Tuesdays and the day after holidays. No dedicated car park.
Ways to enjoy it
Walk from the station along the Suimon River to trace the old outer moat. Since Gujo Hachiman's keep was modeled on Ogaki, visiting both to compare them is rewarding.
Photos
Visitor reviews
Be the first to review
Have you visited this castle? We'd love to hear from you.
Write a review
Open questions
The founding date and builder (1535, Miyagawa Yasusada) are traditional; another account gives 1500 and Takegoshi Hisatsuna.
The 1985 rebuilding date for the Ushitora turret is from the tourism association. One secondary source says the Inui turret was rebuilt in 1967 using Gujo Hachiman Castle as a reference.
Oamu's escape across the moat in a tub is a traditional story.
The year of historic-site designation, barrier-free access, toilets, park hours and English signage inside could not be confirmed.
Hyppolyte de Saint-RambertCC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
_VLux5_hdsr_c02.jpg){kind=link}
_VLux5_hdsr_c20.jpg){kind=link}
