Shōgun

The History of Azuchi Castle

The Azuchi we see in Shōgun closely mirrors the home of Kuroda’s historical counterpart, Oda Nobunaga. When Nobunaga established his rule over the central parts of Japan, he began to build a magnificent castle on Lake Biwa, near the ancient capital of Kyoto and in a strategic location on the border between eastern and western Japan.&nbsp;For his castle, he chose a small mountainous island near the eastern shore of the lake. The entire island was used as a natural fortress, with the main castle on the highest part of the mountain.Nobunaga built his palace and an impressive tower called a Tenshu. This was the first castle tower of its kind to be built in Japan and would become the model for the construction of Japanese castles. However, in contrast to the other Japanese castles, there is evidence to suggest that Nobunaga used the Tenshu also as a part of his living quarters. The seventh floor of the tower provided a magnificent view of the castle's surroundings.&nbsp;Around the castle stood the residences of his retainers. They were all separated by strong walls. Each residence was like a castle in itself.&nbsp;There are no pictures of the castle drawn at that time, but we have many written records from visitors to the castle. One of these visitors was the Jesuit Joan Francisco, who wrote in a letter dated September 1, 1580, that when Nobunaga showed Francisco around the palace, he told him that there were so many rooms in the palace that he himself had recently lost his way.

A First-Hand Account

One of Nobunaga's vassals, Ōta Gyuichi, gives the following description of Azuchi Castle in his Shinchō Kōki ("Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga")."Azuchi Castle is located in a deep mountainous area. At the foot of the mountain are the retainers' residences with tiled roofs. It is indescribable how everything shines in the sun. Lake Biwa stretches from the west to the north. It is easy to come and go with ships.&nbsp;The sails on the horizon, the lights of the fishing villages and the fishing boats, all are a scenery like a painting. In the lake are the famous Chikubu Island and the elegant rocky Take Island. Every morning and evening, you can hear the sound of the bell of Chōmei Temple on Mt. Okushima. On the other side of the lake, several high mountains, such as Hiragadake, Hieizan, and Nyoigadake, rise into the sky.In the south, the rice fields of the villages form a flat surface. At the end, you can see a mountain called Mikamiyama, which is similar in shape to Fujiyama. To the east is Kannonjiyama. At the foot of this mountain is a highway. People come and go on this road day and night without interruption. South of Azuchiyama is a wide inlet of the lake. Houses are lined up under the mountain. This place is filled with the sound of the wind.In this way, the scenery on the four sides of the castle is exquisite. Nobunaga's palace is built in the Chinese style, like polished gems and lapis lazuli laid side by side. The residences of his retainers are all extremely beautiful. It is as if the Flower Capital has been moved to this place."

Every legend begins with a story.&nbsp;Explore the vision and artistry behind FX's Shōgun's groundbreaking series. Join host and staff writer Emily Yoshida as she sits down with the creators, cast, and crew that brought Sengoku Era Japan to life.

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The entire island was used as a natural fortress, with the main castle on the highest part of the mountain.

Close up of Azuchi Castle, a massive black fortress

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