Nirengi Castle, Japanese castle in Toyohashi, Japan
Nirengi Castle is a Japanese castle in Toyohashi with remains that visitors can still see today. The site features traditional defensive structures including stone walls, moats, and earthen ramparts arranged around a central area.
Toda Munemitsu, a supporter of the Ashikaga shogunate, built the castle in 1493 as a forward military outpost. The construction served to strengthen control over the eastern region during a period of regional conflict.
The grounds were home to elm trees that locals used to craft surikogi, traditional wooden grinding tools essential to Japanese cooking. This connection between the castle site and everyday craftsmanship reveals how the place served purposes beyond military defense.
The site functions today as Oguchi Park, allowing visitors to walk among the remaining castle structures at their own pace. Landscaped gardens throughout the grounds make it easy to explore the old fortifications.
The name comes from two elm trees that once grew widely in the area, with the Japanese name literally meaning 'two elm trees.' These trees were so characteristic of the place that they became the basis for the castle's name.
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