Minato Castle

Minato Castle
湊城
Minato Castle ; 湊城
Tsuchizaki Minato, Akita, Akita Prefecture, Japan
	Tsuchizaki Gaiku Park
	Minato Ando clan monument
	Minato Castle ; 湊城 Minato Castle ; 湊城 Minato Castle ; 湊城
Coordinates	39°45′27.1″N 140°4′16″E / 39.757528°N 140.07111°E
Type	hirayama-style Japanese castle
Site information
Controlled by	City of Akita, Tsuchizaki Shinmeisha
Open to; the public	yes
Condition	Ruins
Site history
Built	1436 ?
Built by	Ando Yasusue ?
In use	1436 ?-1604
Battles/wars	Minato Disturbance

Minato Castle (湊城, Minato-jō) was a Japanese castle in what is now Tsuchizaki Minato, Akita, Akita Prefecture, Japan. Throughout the Muromachi period, Minato Castle was home to the Ando clan, daimyō of Akita Domain, rulers of northern Dewa Province.^[1]

History

The early history of the castle is shrouded but it might have been constructed by the second of the Minato branch of the Ando family, Ando Yasusue, in 1436. Ando "Big Dipper" Chikasue of the Hiyama Ando went down from Hiyama Castle to Minato Castle uniting the two clan branches.^[2] After the Battle of Sekigahara, his son, Akita Sanesue was moved to Shishido, in Hitachi Province, and Satake Yoshinobu of Hitachi was relegated to Minato Castle in 1602. Satake began to build the new Kubota Castle and Minato Castle was abandoned in 1604.^[3]^[4]^[5]

The exit station is Tsuchizaki Station (north next of Akita Station).

2-minute walk straight from the exit of the station and you can soon see Tsuchizaki Shinmeisha Shrine on your left.