Nanao Castle

Nanao Castle, one of the five largest castles in Japan, was built around 1500 by Noto's Hatakeyama Clan, who had been appointed as governors, or "shugo," by the Muromachi Shogunate. Many sections were built for the castle, including its inner citadel, outer citadel and outermost portions, whose solid construction was admired for its impregnability. In 1577, the castle fell to the samurai Nagao Kagetora, toppling the nearly 170 year-rule of the Hatakeyama Clan in Noto. A view of Nanao Bay and Nanao City can be seen from the ruins of the inner citadel.