Kanamori Builds Takayama Castle and Its Town

After receiving Hida, Nagachika initially used Nabeyama but chose the older Tenjinyama castle site for his principal center. The hill overlooked an open basin and routes through the province. Rebuilding reused an established fortified location and required construction of a larger governing complex.

The traditional chronology begins work in 1588, while a recent municipal survey also records 1590 as a possible start. It places completion of the main and second compounds by 1600, followed by the third compound under Yoshishige through 1603. The central works and the outer compound belonged to successive stages of the same project.

Town construction placed warrior residences on higher ground, merchant areas below and temples toward Higashiyama. These arrangements connected the castle’s household and administration with the surrounding settlement. Later dismantling in 1695 removed the buildings and damaged walls. Remaining foundations, earthworks and excavated material preserve portions of the complex, rather than a complete castle attributable to a single year.