Gifu Castle
is a Japanese castle located in the city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Along with Mount Kinka and the Nagara River, it is one of the main symbols of the city. The castle is also known as . It was designated a National Historic Site in 2011. Overview Gifu Castle is located on Mount Kinkazan to the northeast of central Gifu, facing the Nagara River. Prior to a severe flood in 1586, the Kiso River ran through north of its current riverbed and was much closer to the castle, so Gifu Castle was protected by two large rivers. It also commanded the main route into Mino Province from then Tōkaidō highway which connected Kyoto wth the eastern provinces of Japan. History The first Gifu Castle was first built by the Nikaidō clan between 1201 and 1204 during the Kamakura Period. Originally little more than a small fort, it was reconstructed on a much larger scale in the Muromachi period by Saitō Toshinaga (d.1460). Toshinaga had served the title of shugo of Mino Province, but due to internal conflicts, the Saitō clan had been supplanted in turn by the Toki clan. The clan's fortunes were restored in the form of an