Database: Amagasaki & Araki Murashige

Between the years 1512-1527, Hosokawa Takakuni had a castle built in Amagasaki. The castle was strategically located on the land routes between Kyoto and Osaka, near the estuary formed by two arms of the Yodo and near to several landing stages. Subsequently, several feudal lords, starting with Nagayoshi Miyoshi (1522 – 1564) and Narimasa Sassa (1536? – 1588), succeeded each other as the head of this small fortress.

Araki Murashige also left a significant mark on the history of Amagasaki in the 16th century. In 1575, Murashige dominated the entire province of Settsu but he turned against his former lord Oda Nobunaga and ended up retreating into the castle of Amagasaki where he resisted for six months against the forces attacking on behalf of Nobunaga. Oda Nobunaga promised the vassals of Araki Murashige, including Araki Kuzaemon who was in charge of the castle of Arioka on behalf of Murashige, to spare the women and children if they made the castles of Amagasaki and Hanakuma capitulate. Kyuzaemon and his men left their wives and children at the castle of Arioka as Nobunaga's hostages and went to try and persuade Murashige; however, the latter refused. To set an example, Nobunaga ordered the execution of all the hostages.

Later, in 1617, Lord Toda Ujikane had the castle transformed, now flanked by a four-story keep, several moats, and turrets.