Shikata Castle, Japanese castle in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan

Shikata Castle was a flatland castle (hirajiro) in Inami District, Harima Province, now Kakogawa, Hyogo Prefecture. Its honmaru is the grounds of Hōshakuzan Kannon-ji, the ninomaru is Shikata Elementary School, and the nishinomaru held the former Shikata town hall. Only a trace of the inner moat remains, in front of a tall stone wall beside the temple gate.

Kushihashi Noriie built Shikata Castle in 1492, and it stayed in the family for four generations. In 1578 the fourth lord, Kushihashi Masaiye, sided with Bessho Nagaharu against Hashiba Hideyoshi; with only about 1,000 defenders, over half ill with dysentery, he surrendered on 10 August. On the advice of his brother-in-law Kuroda Yoshitaka, many of the Kushihashi later became Kuroda retainers.

The castle's name survives in local use: its honmaru grounds became the precinct of Hōjakuzan Kannon-ji, founded in 1587 by the monk Hōgan Sōchin to guard the lord's grave, while the ninomaru site holds Shikata Elementary School and the western enclosure held the old Shikata town hall. Many of the Kushihashi clan became retainers of the Kuroda family after the surrender.

The honmaru site is now the grounds of Hōshakuzan Kannon-ji, the ninomaru is Shikata Elementary School and the nishinomaru held the old Shikata town office; only a trace of the inner moat survives beside the temple gate. From JR Hōden Station north exit take the Shinki Bus toward Nishimaki about 10 minutes and get off at Shikata-nishiguchi, then walk about 350 m northeast.

The castle was a flatland fort, not a hillside one: its honmaru is now the grounds of Hōjakuzan Kannon-ji, the ninomaru became Shikata Elementary School, and the western bailey held the old Shikata town hall. Only a trace of the inner moat survives, in front of the tall stone wall beside the temple gate.