Mibuno Castle

Mibuno Castle was a Japanese castle in Iga Province, overlooking the forested region of Mibuno Vale. It served as one of the strongholds of the Iga ikki during the Sengoku period.

History[edit | edit source]

On 30 September 1581, as part of Oda Nobunaga's conquest of Iga, Mibuno Castle was the site of a fierce battle between Nobunaga's forces and the Igan shinobi. Nobunaga's retainer Yasuke led an assault on the castle in order to locate and defeat the shinobi leader Momochi Sandayu.^[1] After arriving at the inner courtyard and finding no one,^[2] Nobunaga was about to declare victory when Sandayu confronted him and Yasuke. While Nobunaga elected to have his ashigaru execute the shinobi with their teppō, Yasuke asked to duel him instead, a request which Nobunaga granted.^[3]

Despite Sandayu's expertise and skills, Yasuke defeated him in battle and was about to deliver the final blow when the shinobi revealed the Hidden Blade on his left arm. Yasuke, having encountered the weapon years ago, asked where Sandayu had obtained it from but was only told to find and help an Igan girl who had a similar blade.^[3]

Following the conquest of Iga, the damaged Mibuno Castle came under the control of Oda clan troops. In 1582, Yasuke and his new ally Fujibayashi Naoe infiltrated its grounds, eliminated two samurai daisho, and looted a trinket, Minogame's Protection, from the castle's treasure chest.^[4]