Ichinomiya Castle is a mountaintop castle in Tokushima, Japan.

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Ichinomiya Castle
一宮城
Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan
Stone wall of Honmaru Base
Ichinomiya Castle Show map of Tokushima Prefecture Ichinomiya Castle Show map of Japan
Type	Mountaintop castle
Site information
Owner	Ogasawara clan, Ichinomiya clan, Chōsokabe clan
Condition	ruins
Site history
Built	1338
Built by	Ogasawara clan
Materials	Stone walls
Demolished	1638

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Built in 1338, the castle was built on a strategically important site, with a river in front and on a mountain, both features giving it some protection as natural defenses. It was originally built by the Osagawara clan, which was appointed to govern Awa domain. In the conflict between Emperor Godaigo and Ashikaga Takauji, the founder of the Muromachi shogunate, the Osagawara supported the Emperor. With his defeat, the Ogasawara lost the castle, which was then given to the Ichinomiya clan^[1]

From the 14th to the 16th centuries, generations of the Ichinomiya family ruled the castle. Hachisuka Iemasa was made lord of the castle after that. The castle was dismantled in 1615.^[2] It was a hilltop castle, and it was built on the same site that Ichinomiya Castle originally was sited.^[3] In a conflict between Motochika Chosokabe and the Miyoshi, even though the Ichinomiya supported him, Motochika mistrusted the clan and removed the castle from their control, directly controlling it himself.^[4] The castle was finally demolished under the policy of Ikkoku Ichijyo Rei, or "one domein one castle rule" of 1615.

Presently, most of the remains of the castle that still stand currently are some bailey walls, and stairs. The site is signposted and accessible for tourists. ^[7]

The Castle was listed as one of the Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles in 2017.^[8]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ichinomiya Castle (Awa).

• De Lange, William (2021). An Encyclopedia of Japanese Castles. Groningen: Toyo Press. pp. 600 pages. ISBN 978-9492722300.