The Life and Afterlife of Hizen Nagoya Castle

This article asks how Hizen Nagoya Castle, a key launchpad for Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s invasion of Korea, survived physically and culturally after the war ended. It challenges the assumption that the site vanished quickly, arguing instead that its legacy is deeper and wider than previously thought. The work treats the castle not merely as a military base but as a dynamic, short-lived settlement that served as a temporary capital, a diplomatic venue, and a source of building materials for future projects.

The author contends that Hizen Nagoya was a military-civil hybrid where over 200,000 residents lived alongside more than 150 daimyō encampments within a 3 km radius. Between 150,000 and 160,000 men crossed to Korea from this site in 1592, with another 100,000 held in reserve. Construction likely began in the second half of 1591, though roof tiles inscribed with dates from 1590 suggest that preparatory work started earlier or that recycled materials were used. The site functioned as a cultural melting pot; Portuguese Jesuit Luís Fróis noted the rapid appearance of shops and inns, while a screen painting from the period depicts a bustling street scene that includes an Iberian man. Despite Hideyoshi’s ban on Christianity, Jesuits and other missionaries visited frequently, and the castle hosted representatives of the Governor-General of the Philippines in 1592 and 1593.

The article traces the castle’s physical dismantling through archaeological evidence and historical records. It argues that the deconstruction of stone walls was methodical and probably did not happen immediately after abandonment. Instead, archaeologists have detected foundation stones and evidence that clay was used carefully to backfill debris. Terazawa Hirotaka, apparently left in charge of the castle, ordered the construction of Karatsu Castle using recycled materials from Hizen Nagoya, including lumber and possibly tools and stone walls. The author suggests it is reasonable to assume the Tokugawa shogunate further “slighted” the site in 1615 under the “one castle per province” order and again in 1638 following the Shimabara Rebellion.

Korean diplomatic records provide crucial evidence of the site’s changing state. Korean envoys visiting for prisoner repatriation stopped at Hizen Nagoya on the 20th day of the sixth month of 1607. A member of the delegation recorded that while the village had once prospered, only a few houses remained. By 1643, the Korean Communication Envoy visited Nagoya, where they were welcomed by hundreds of people and informed of a “Korea village” of about 100 houses where former prisoners made earthenware. These diaries confirm the site’s transition from a military camp to a place of settlement and memory.

The work connects these historical layers to modern reconciliation efforts. In 1812, the cartographer Inō Tadataka verified the existence of an operational watchtower guardhouse and mentioned the remains of stone walls. Earlier, in 1778, a kabuki play used the castle as a setting, showing continued popular interest. The article highlights the establishment of the Saga Prefectural Nagoya Castle Museum in 1993, which reimagines the site as a venue for Japan-Korea cultural communication rather than a monument to war.

This journal article is suitable for readers interested in how war sites are repurposed for peace and the specific role of Korean envoys in Japanese history. It synthesizes primary sources, including Korean diplomatic diaries and Japanese records, with archaeological findings to track the physical state of the ruins. The work leaves aside a detailed reconstruction of the castle’s complete physical state at every moment, acknowledging gaps in the record regarding the exact timing of demolition phases. It is a 23-page article written in English and is free to read.

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Related articles on Nanban.pt

• The Imjin War: Hideyoshi’s Invasion of Korea and the War That Broke an Empire
• Hideyoshi's Manila Demand of 1591: The Con Man Who Forged a War
• The Chronicler: Luís Fróis and the 34-Year Report
• Hideyoshi’s Edict: The Night Japan Turned Against the Church

Reviewed by Nanban.pt editorial, 2026-10-06.

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