茨木城
Ibaraki Castle
Overview
Ibaraki Castle in northern Osaka Prefecture was a strategically vital flatland castle of the Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. Its most dramatic moment came in 1578, when Araki Murashige — one of Oda Nobunaga's top Settsu generals — suddenly revolted and eventually abandoned the castle after a protracted siege. Later lords included Nakagawa Kiyohide (one of Hideyoshi's celebrated warriors) and Katagiri Katsumoto, who played a tragic mediating role between the Toyotomi and Tokugawa clans before the Siege of Osaka. A relocated gate associated with Katagiri survives as a local landmark.
Connection to Swords
Araki Murashige — Ibaraki's most notorious lord — was an avid collector of celebrated swords and cultural treasures under Nobunaga's 'meibutsu' acquisition policy, before his dramatic revolt and later reinvention as a tea practitioner. The Settsu region (modern northern Osaka) housed active swordsmiths influenced by the Yamashiro and Yamato traditions, supplying Ibaraki's garrison and contributing to Toyotomi-era weapons logistics. Katagiri Katsumoto, the castle's last notable lord, embodies the sword-and-loyalty ethic in its most tragic form: a loyal retainer ground between two great powers, who never abandoned his sense of warrior honor.
Highlights
- Katagiri Katsumoto's relocated gate — the sole surviving structure associated with the castle
- Ibaraki City Cultural Properties Museum (at the castle site)
- Site of Araki Murashige's revolt — one of the most dramatic betrayals in Sengoku history
- Surviving earthworks and moat remnants in the modern city center
- Excellent rail access from Osaka and Kyoto — convenient base for Kansai sightseeing
* Opening hours and admission fees are subject to change. Please check the official website before visiting.