Kurono Castle, Historical castle ruins in Gifu, Japan

Kurono Castle is a ruin site in Gifu containing preserved moats, earthen walls, and foundation stones that mark the original fortification layout. Today the grounds form a public park where visitors can explore the physical remains of this former castle structure.

Katō Sadayasu built the castle in 1597 using stones provided by Toyotomi Hideyoshi for the foundation. The structure was demolished in 1610 after serving briefly as a strategic outpost.

The name Kurono survives in local place names such as "Ninomaru" and "Somon-guchi", which recall the castle's former layout. The outer moat now serves in many places as a water channel, and the site is a designated Gifu City historic site. The castle's brief role ended when Katō Sadayasu was transferred to Yonago in 1610, after only about half a year of his tax-exemption policy for the town.

A stone marker shows visitors exactly where the castle once stood, with the site now open as a public park. The grounds are flat and easy to walk through, allowing a leisurely visit.

The castle stood for about 16 years, from its construction by Katō Sadayasu in 1594 until its demolition in 1610. A local tradition holds that Sadayasu was transferred to Yonago because his embankment works on the right bank of the Nagara River flooded the Kano domain on the left bank, prompting Lady Kame, wife of Okudaira Nobumasa, to complain to her father Tokugawa Ieyasu.