Database: Takeda Castle

Since the 15th century, Takeda Castle had been owned by the Ōtagaki, an important vassal family of the Yamana feudal lords of Tajima Province. After Oda Nobunaga conquered Tajima in 1569, Ōtagaki remained lord of the castle. In 1575, Ogino Naomasa, one of the anti-Nobunaga warriors from Tamba province (east of Tajima) seized the castle, but soon abandoned it due to the invasion of Tamba by Akechi Mitsuhide, on Nobunaga's order. The following year, Yamana and Ōtagaki switched to the anti-Nobunaga side, and Hashiba Hideyoshi, commander of Nobunaga's forces in Harima province (south of Tajima), sent his brother Hidenaga to take over Takeda Castle in 1576. Even though it was retaken once by Ōtagaki, it remained under Hideyoshi's power after 1580.

Under the Toyotomi regime, Akamatsu Hirohide became lord of Takeda Castle and restored it to the state as it is today, fortifying the entire castle with stone walls. However, after the battle of Sekigahara in 1600, the Akamatsu were removed from their position, and Takeda Castle was abandoned.

The castle was built on the top of the mountain with an altitude of about 350 meters. When the river mist rises in the surrounding valley, the castle appears to float in a sea of clouds, hence its nickname "castle in the sky." It became famous and has been visited by many tourists since the beginning of the century.