Among the castles in Tohoku Miyagi Prefecture, “Siraishi Jo” is especially famous.
It is a famous castle that has connections with Date Masamune, famous for the one-eyed dragon Masamune.
It is the largest Hirayama castle in Tohoku.
It is Miyagi Prefecture’s number one tourist spot, as it has a presence that is unrivaled in terms of beauty and structure.
There are also remains of the former Koseki family samurai residence in the immediate vicinity of Shiroishi Castle.
This time, we will introduce in detail Shiroishi Castle in Miyagi Prefecture, Shiroishi Castle, which is connected to Date Masamune, and the former Koseki family samurai residence.

①What kind of place is Siraiishi Castle?

Shiroishi Castle is a castle located in Masuoka-cho, Shiroishi City, Miyagi Prefecture.
Another name for Shiroishi Castle is ″Masuokajo”, which is based on the place name.

❶What type of castle is Shiroishi Castle?

The type of castle in Shiroishi Castle is Hirayama Castle.
Japanese castles are generally divided according to their height from the plain (plain land).
It can be broadly divided into three categories:

From ① to ③, the height of the castle gradually increases from sea level.

①Hirajiro
A flat castle is a castle built on a plain at the same height.

② Hirayama Castle
Hirayama Castle is a castle built on a low mountain or hill in a plain.

③Yamajiro
A mountain castle is a castle built near the top of a mountain or hill.
Shiroishi Castle is the second Hirayama Castle.

By the way, Hirayama Castle, the same as Shiroishi Castle, is home to famous Japanese castles such as Osaka Castle, Himeji Castle, Sendai Castle, and Kumamoto Castle.

❷The view from the castle tower of Shiroishi Castle is spectacular! !

From the castle tower of Shiroishi Castle, you can see the entire castle town.
You can feel like you are the lord of Shiroishi Castle.
The castle tower of Shiroishi Castle is three stories high.
The height from the top of the stone wall to the tip of the roof is 16.7m.
Moreover, since it was built at an altitude of 76 meters at the northern end of an independent hill in the Shiroishi Basin, it is possible to see every corner of the castle town.
By the way, the current castle tower of Shiroishi Castle was restored in March 1995.
The original Shiroishi Castle was demolished once in 1874.

❸You can try wearing armor

You can try on armor at Shiroishi Castle Castle Tower.
Armor experience is the experience of wearing old armor.
You can wear a helmet, torso, and gauntlets, allowing you to become a Sengoku warlord from movies and TV dramas.
We also have a variety of Sengoku warlord items such as floor boxes, swords, and matchlock guns.
After you are done wearing the kimono, you can pose and take photos.
All you need to do to experience armor is to make a reservation in advance.

❹Shiraishi Castle’s busy season and off-season

Shiroishi Castle’s busy season is when there are events.
Low season is when there are no events.
If you want to take a leisurely look around Shiroishi Castle, we recommend visiting during off-season when there are no events.

❺Relationship between Date Masamune and Shiroishi Castle

The relationship between Date Masamune and Shiroishi Castle is that Date Masamune gave Shiroishi Castle to his senior vassal Kojuro Katakura, making him the lord of the castle.
Shiroishi Castle was once a castle with a unique history of changing owners many times.

Before the Sengoku period, Shiroishi Castle was a territory of the Date family, but it was once confiscated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and then just before the Battle of Sekigahara, Date Masamune took back Shiroishi Castle and it came under the control of the Date family again.
Date Masamune made his vassal Katakura Kojuro the lord of the castle, and it remained the residence of the Katakura family for generations until the Meiji Restoration.

➁Koseki-ke, a samurai residence where you can experience the life of a samurai.

Samurai residence refers to the former Koseki family.
Current address is “Nishimasuoka-cho, Shiroishi City”.
It is located along the Sawabata River outside the Sannomaru of Shiroishi Castle.
The Koseki family was a vassal of the Katakura family that was incorporated into the Katakura family of Shiroishi Castle in 1716.
It is said that she was active as a mistress of the Katakura family.
By the way, the first year of Kyoho was the year in which Tokugawa Yoshimune, who was well-known as the brazen shogun, was appointed as the 8th Seii Taishogun.

▲The life of the samurai at that time is recreated, and you can feel as if you have traveled back in time.

❶When was the former Koseki family samurai residence built?

It is known that the former Koseki family samurai residence was built 15 years after he became a vassal of the Katakura family.
The reason for this is that when it was dismantled, an ink calligraphy with the date “February 12, 1730” was discovered.

❷ Area where there was a residence of an intermediate samurai

The former Koseki family samurai residence is located in the area where the residences of mid-level samurai were located.
It is located on the north side of Shiroishi Castle, facing the Sawabata River, which is the outer moat of Sannomaru, and is full of the atmosphere of a samurai residence at the time.
It is now a quiet residential area.

❸Visiting Shiroishi Castle and samurai residences using a common ticket

If you purchase a combined ticket at Shiroishi Castle and History Exploration Museum, you can visit the following three facilities for a set price.

①Shiraishi Castle
②3D high-definition theater
③Samurai residence

Please feel free to use it.

➂Access information to Shiroishi Castle

Here you will find detailed information about access to Shiroishi Castle.
The address of Shiroishi Castle is 1-16 Masuoka-cho, Shiroishi City, Miyagi Prefecture.

❶Route from Tokyo to Shiroishi Castle by car

Tokyo IC ⇒ Tomei Expressway ⇒ Shuto Route 3 Shibuya Line ⇒ Shuto Chuo Loop Line ⇒ Shuto Route 5 Ikebukuro Line ⇒ Shuto Chuo Loop Line ⇒ Shuto Kawaguchi Line ⇒ Kawaguchi JCT ⇒ Tohoku Expressway ⇒Shiroishi IC (Miyagi Prefecture) ⇒ About 10 minutes by car ⇒ Shiroishi Castle

Summary

This time, we introduced Shiroishi Castle in Miyagi Prefecture, Shiroishi Castle, which is connected to Date Masamune, and the former Koseki family samurai residence.
Shiroishi Castle has a beautiful exterior, and the view from the castle tower gives you the exhilarating feeling of being the lord of the castle.
The former Koseki family samurai residence is still located near Shiroishi Castle, as if it were protecting the castle of its direct lord.
Both are valuable treasure troves of history that still retain their appearance from the Edo period.
When you visit Miyagi Prefecture, we highly recommend visiting Shiroishi Castle and the former Koseki family samurai residence.

▲Shiroishi Castle

▲Koseki family samurai residence