Mito Castle Ruins

Mito Castle is a flat mountain castle built on the top of a horse-back-shaped plateau between the Nakagawa River and Lake Senbako. The castle was the residence of the Mito clan. The Yaikuimon Gate remains in the former Honmaru. The Kodokan School is a domain school built in the former San-no-Maru, Karabori (empty moat), and Dori (earthen mound), which skillfully utilized the topography, can be seen. Recently, the reconstruction of the Otemon Gate and the Ninomaru Sumiyagura (corner turret) was completed, bringing the appearance of the old days to life.

Mito Castle is believed to have been built by Suketomo Baba in the late Heian to early Kamakura period. The castle passed from the Baba clan to the Edo and Satake clans, but after the Battle of Sekigahara, Ieyasu Tokugawa moved the Satake clan from Mito to Akita. Ieyasu's fifth son, Nobuyoshi Matsudaira (Takeda), and his tenth son, Yorinobu Tokugawa, took over the castle. In 1609, his eleventh son, Yorifusa Tokugawa, moved into the castle and became its lord. The Mito Tokugawa family began, which continued for 11 generations for about 260 years.

The castle ruins extend to the north of Mito Station on the JR Joban Line. A walking route called "Mito Gaku no Michi" starts from the station and takes visitors around the ruins of Mito Castle and historical sites associated with the Mito Clan. Mito Gaku" refers to the unique philosophy of the Mito clan that greatly influenced the Meiji Restoration, and the "Mito Gaku no Michi" is a fascinating walking route that allows visitors to experience the history of the Mito clan.