Echizen-Fuchū Castle, Japanese castle in Echizen, Japan
Echizen-Fuchū Castle is a former Japanese castle in the city of Echizen, built on flat ground and using the Hino River as a natural defensive line on one side. The site sits in what is now the city center, between JR Takefu Station and Echizen City Hall.
In 1575, Oda Nobunaga handed the site to Maeda Toshiie, who turned an earlier administrative building into a proper fortress. Over time the castle passed through several hands and was eventually held by the Honda clan until the end of the Edo period.
The castle gate was moved during the Meiji period and now serves as the entrance to Shōgakuji Temple, where visitors can still see it today. This is a good example of how old structures in Japan were often given a new role rather than torn down.
Stone markers are placed across the site to help visitors find the key points of the former castle grounds. The area sits in the middle of the city and is easy to reach on foot, especially from JR Takefu Station.
Although the One Castle per Province Edict would normally have required the fortress to be dismantled, the Honda clan received special permission to keep it because they held the status of affiliated senior retainers. This made it one of very few fortifications allowed to remain standing under that rule.
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