Shibata Shrine inside Castle Ruins

Small shrine dedicated to Shibata Katsuie & Oichi

Takako Sakamoto Oct 03, 2014 - 2 min read

<p>Street sign indicating the location of Shibata Shrine and Kitanosho Castle Ruins</p>

<p>Bronze statue of Shibata Katsuie, who was defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and then killed himself inside the burning castle</p>

<p>The main gate of Shibata Shrine stands on a narrow, old, shopping street</p>

<p>Sacred rope of Shibata Shrine's main gate contrasts clearly with blue sky</p>

<p>Dragon head spewing water at a water purification font inside Shibata Shrine</p>

<p>An old well from the 16th Century Kitano-sho Castle was restored here and named 'Water of Oichi'. Oichi was the wife of Katsuie and sister of Oda Nobunaga</p>

<p>Main hall and stone marker of Shibata Shrine</p>

<p>Shrine's administration office building</p>

<p>At the administration office, various charms can be bought</p>

<p>Many Ema (wooden votive tablets) adorn this board</p>

<p>Ema (wooden votive tablet) of Shibata Katsuie, the last lord of Kitano-sho Castle</p>

<p>Looking at the main hall through the prayer platform</p>

<p>Looking up at the ceiling of the prayer hall</p>

<p>Guardian dogs in front of the main hall of Shibata Shrine</p>

Located near JR Fukui station, Shibata Shrine stands on the Kitano-Sho Castle Ruins, enshrining a famous samurai in the Sengoku Period, Shibata Katsuie. After the assassination of his master, Oda Nobunaga, he fought with another prominent subject of Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, over the right to become Nobunaga's successor. Katsuie lost the competition, and killed himself in the main castle keep of Kitano-Sho Castle, which was located here in Fukui city. Nobunaga's sister, Oichi, was Katsuie's wife at the time, and she also chose to kill herself with her husband and ended her turbulent life here in 1583. Later, a small stone shrine was erected here, and it had been taken care of by the Fukui Matsudaira Clan for centuries until an official shrine was built in 1890, about 300 years after their tragic death. The current buildings were rebuilt in 1998.

Kitano-Sho Castle Ruins

Takako Sakamoto @takako.sakamoto

I was born in and grew up in Tokushima prefecture, and have lived in many places since then: Nishinomiya, Kyoto, Nara, Mie, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Fukuoka and Fukui. I am currently living in Yokohama City. All the places I lived, all the places I visited, I have loved dearly. The histor...