Japanese Castle guide in Japan castle Historical site Statue Introduction.

[Castle name]
Tozawa Castle

[Description]
Tozawa castle was a castle of the Tozawa family in current Nishi Shimo Tozawa, Kami Hinokinai, Nishiki Town, Semboku City, Akita Prefecture.
The family tried to get Semboku three districts. First, it united Kitaura, the north part of Semboku three districts.
After that, it moved to Kakunodate Castle. It fought with the Onodera family and the Ando family for Semboku three districts.

In the Warring States period, the head Tozawa Moriyasu was a good commander so that he united Semboku three districts.
Meanwhile, Toyotomi Hideyoshi started Hojo Conquest. Moriyasu quickly met Hideyoshi and had him ensure the estate.

However, Moriyasu suddenly died for illness during the Hojo Conquest.
After Moriyasu died, his younger brother Tozawa Mitsumori succeeded the family. He got only 4500 kokus estate in Kitaura District.

After Toyotomi Hideyoshi got all of Japan, he started dispatching troops to Korea. Mitsumori attended to it, he died in Himeji Castle on the way.
After Mitsumoridied, his heir Masamori succeeded the family. He grasped the situation and approached Tokugawa Ieyasu.

In the Battle of Sekigahara, he joined the eastern army. He and Mogami Yoshimitsu fought Uesugi Kagekatsu. However, he didn’t attack in a positive manner because he didn’t want the Akita family next to his province to increase its power. After the Battle of Sekigahara, Ieyasu heard it and transferred Masamori to Hitachi Province Matsuoka and reduced his estate.

During Siege of Osaka between Tokugawa Ieyasu and Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s son Hideyori, he positively worked for Ieyasu. Furthermore, he adopted Ieyasu’s senior statesman Tori Tadamasa’s son. Then he came to be treated as a Fudai lord.

After the Mogami family was deprived of its estate and its status, he was transferred to Shinjo, which was near Kakunodate, and his estate increased to 60000 kokus. The Tozawa family ruled the area until the Meiji Restoration.

[Address,access]
Nishi Shimo Tozawa, Kami Hinokinai, Nishiki Town, Semboku City, Akita Prefecture

[Map]