Takashima Castle is a historic Japanese castle in Takashima, Suwa City, Nagano Prefecture. Once standing directly beside and extending into Lake Suwa, the castle was known as the “Floating Castle of Suwa” because its elegant silhouette appeared to rise from the waters.
The castle was built in the former Province of Shinano during the turbulent period from the Warring States era into the Edo period. Its history is closely connected with the political and social development of the Suwa region.
Today, the former castle grounds have been developed as Takashima Park, where visitors can enjoy the reconstructed castle buildings, historic stone walls, seasonal flowers, and views of the surrounding area.
Takashima Castle was a hirajiro, or flatland castle, designed with its defensive buildings arranged in connected sections. It was originally a water castle extending into Lake Suwa.
Because the castle appeared to float on the lake, it became known as the “Floating Castle of Suwa.” It is also traditionally counted among Japan’s Three Great Lake Castles, together with Matsue Castle and another castle depending on the historical classification used.
During the early Edo period, land reclamation caused the shoreline of Lake Suwa to retreat. As a result, the castle lost its original waterside setting, and today the former water castle is surrounded by the urban landscape of Suwa.
The castle was constructed by the Sengoku-period warlord Hineno Takayoshi. Its original design featured extensive stone walls, eight turrets, six gates, and a three-story castle keep.
The ground around Lake Suwa was soft and difficult to build on. To create a stable foundation, builders used an advanced technique for the period: wooden timbers were assembled like a raft and stone walls were constructed on top of them.
Even with this sophisticated construction method, the stone walls reportedly required repeated repairs because of the unstable ground.
The construction of Takashima Castle was completed in only about seven years. Local traditions tell of the heavy labor imposed on the surrounding population during the construction.
It is also said that stone from the nearby Kaneko Castle was reused to build Takashima Castle. According to local tradition, even gravestones and Buddhist stone statues were repurposed as building materials.
These reused stones, known in Japanese as ten’yō-ishi, or “reused stones,” are part of the historical traces associated with the castle.
The history of castles in the Suwa region goes back to the medieval period. The Suwa clan, which ruled Suwa District, built a castle on Mount Chausuyama north of the present Takashima Castle. This fortress became known as Chausuyama Castle.
After the Suwa clan was defeated by Takeda Shingen, the area came under the control of Takeda retainers, including Itagaki Nobukata. Later, figures such as Nagasaka Torafusa and Yamamoto Kansuke are traditionally associated with improvements to the area’s fortifications.
The region became an important base for the Takeda clan’s control of Shinano.
After the fall of the Takeda clan, Kawajiri Hidetaka, a retainer of Oda Nobunaga, took control of Suwa District, while Yuge Shigezō administered the area on his behalf.
Following the Battle and political upheaval known as the Tenshō Jingo War after the death of Oda Nobunaga, control of Suwa changed once again.
Suwa Yoritada temporarily established a base at Kaneko Castle. Eventually, Hineno Takayoshi took control of the region and constructed a new Takashima Castle at its present location.
Between 1592 and 1598, Hineno Takayoshi built a new Takashima Castle at Takashima Village on the shores of Lake Suwa.
Residents living near the lakeshore were relocated to the nearby area of Kowada. In return, they were reportedly granted privileges such as fishing rights and exemptions from certain forms of compulsory labor.
Merchants and craftsmen living around the former Uehara Castle area were also relocated, helping establish the foundations of the castle town of Kami-Suwa.
In 1601, Hineno Takayoshi was transferred to Mibu in Shimotsuke Province. Suwa Yorimizu then entered the domain with an income of 27,000 koku, a historical measure of a domain’s rice-producing capacity.
This marked the return of the Suwa clan’s rule. The clan continued to govern the Suwa Domain until the Meiji Restoration in the late 19th century.
During the Edo period, Takashima Castle served as the administrative center of the domain and the residence of its feudal lords. Major repairs to the stone walls and other structures were carried out in 1786.
In 1626, Matsudaira Tadanaga, the sixth son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, was confined at Takashima Castle. The Minami-no-Maru, or South Enclosure, was expanded to serve as a place of confinement.
Later, the castle was also used to hold individuals placed under the custody of the shogunate, including Kira Yoshichika. After the confinement facilities were no longer needed, the area was reportedly used for growing medicinal herbs.
Following the Meiji Restoration and the abolition of the feudal domains, Takashima Castle was temporarily used as the government office of Takashima Prefecture.
In 1875, however, the castle keep and most of the major structures were demolished. Only parts of the stone walls and moats remained.
The following year, in 1876, the former castle grounds were opened to the public as Takashima Park. In 1900, Suwa Gokoku Shrine was established within the grounds.
In 1970, the castle was given a new appearance with the reconstruction of the castle keep, turrets, gates, and surrounding walls on the former main enclosure.
The present keep is a reinforced-concrete reconstruction built by Kumagai Gumi. Its interior is open to the public as a museum displaying materials related to the history of Takashima Castle and the Suwa region.
The original castle roof was covered with thin cypress boards, a traditional roofing technique known as kokera-buki. The reconstructed building instead uses copper roofing for greater durability.
Parts of the original stone walls and moats have survived and remain well preserved within the castle grounds.
Some of the gates that once stood in the third enclosure were relocated after the castle was dismantled and are now used as temple gates at Onsenji Temple and Jōkōji Temple.
A traditional Noh stage associated with the castle was also incorporated into the main hall of Onsenji Temple, preserving another reminder of the castle’s former cultural life.
Takashima Castle is now a popular place to enjoy both history and scenery. The reconstructed castle keep creates a striking focal point within Takashima Park, while the surrounding grounds offer pleasant walking paths and benches.
In spring, cherry blossoms surround the castle, creating one of the area’s most attractive seasonal scenes. In summer, fresh green foliage contrasts with the historic architecture. Autumn brings colorful leaves, while winter can transform the park into a quiet landscape of snow.
The park offers a peaceful place to walk, sit, and appreciate the history of Suwa at a relaxed pace.
In 2017, Takashima Castle was selected as Castle No. 130 in Japan’s Continued 100 Fine Castles, a list established by the Japan Castle Foundation to highlight historically and culturally significant castles that complement the original “100 Fine Castles of Japan” selection.
The designation has further drawn the attention of visitors interested in Japanese castles, history, architecture, and the heritage of the Sengoku and Edo periods.
Takashima Castle was once celebrated as the “Floating Castle of Suwa,” rising from the waters of Lake Suwa. Although the shoreline has changed and the original water castle landscape no longer exists, the reconstructed keep, surviving stone walls, moats, and relocated structures preserve important traces of its past.
The castle’s history stretches from the turbulent Sengoku period through the long peace of the Edo period and into modern Japan. Today, Takashima Park offers visitors a chance to experience this history while enjoying seasonal scenery in the heart of Suwa.
For travelers exploring the Suwa area, Takashima Castle provides a memorable combination of Japanese castle history, traditional architecture, seasonal nature, and the cultural heritage of the Suwa region.
9:00-17:30
12/26～12/31
Adults 310 yen
Child 150 yen
8 minutes drive from Suwa IC [3km].
10 min. walk from JR Chuo Honsen Kami-Suwa Station