SilkCode LibraryCastles of Japan
No. 083ShikokuEhime

Uwajima Castle

宇和島城

Original keep

Uwajima Castle retains a white, three-storey keep on its wooded hill. Its history links Todo Takatora with the Date family of Uwajima.

Uwajima Castle keep above its stone base
Uwajima Castle keep above its stone basePhoto: Reggaeman · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Resized and converted to WebP. Cards crop the display.This photograph shows the site at the time it was taken. Check the notes and official sources for current restoration work and access.

Get to know the castle

Castle at a glance

Site & layout
Hill-and-plain castle using the castle hill
Origins
Developed by Takatora in 1596–1601; surviving keep dates to around 1666
Builders & patrons
Todo Takatora and the Uwajima Date family
Other names
—
What remains today
Edo-period keep, enclosures and stone walls

THE STORY

The story behind the walls

Todo Takatora developed the castle from 1596 to 1601. The Date family later took it as their seat in Uwajima. Under Date Munetoshi, the keep was replaced around 1666. The surviving structure is therefore not Takatora’s original building. Preserved on the hill, it is one of Japan’s twelve historic keeps.

LAYOUT & ARCHITECTURE

Read the landscape and the buildings.

Terraces and walls rise towards the main enclosure on the hill. The surviving three-tiered, three-storey keep combines white plaster with decorative roof curves and gables. Comparing the uphill approach with the flat ground around the keep reveals how the design uses changes in elevation.

A CLOSER LOOK

Details worth a closer look.

01

The Date family’s surviving keep

The present keep dates to around 1666 under Date Munetoshi. Distinguishing Takatora’s work from the Date rebuilding clarifies its date.

02

White plaster and roof forms

Decorative gables enliven the white-plastered, three-storey tower. Its white walls contrast with the surrounding wooded hill.

03

Hilltop remains

Enclosures and walls show how the castle used its hilltop setting. Walls beside the paths and level terraces reveal the castle’s extent.

THROUGH THE YEARS

A short timeline

  1. 1596

    Todo Takatora begins developing the castle.

  2. 1601

    Takatora’s works are completed.

  3. Around 1666

    The present keep is built under Date Munetoshi.

BEFORE YOU GO

A note before you go.

Reaching the keep involves climbing the castle hill. Take care in wet weather and check current access information.

Official visitor information ↗Find it on a map ↗

Information checked: 27 September 2026

Sources & official information

Some official sources are available in Japanese only.

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