Allow us to introduce the historic Takeda clan headquarters from the age of the Warring States through historic records and the latest archaeological discoveries.

The original Takeda residence, Tsutsujigasaki, was built by Takeda Nobutora in 1519. Nobutora, Shingen, and Shingen’s son, Katsuyori, made this residence the headquarters from which they ruled the central part of the Japanese archipelago for three generations. The Tsutsujigasaki residence was used for 62 years until 1581 when Katsuyori built Shinpu Castle in Nirasaki, northwest of Kōfu, and relocated his headquarters there.

So, what kind of residence did Shingen live in?

It is said that many of the official residences of warring feudal lords were built to imitate the palace of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who served as the third shogun of the Muromachi shogunate in the late 14th century. According to a pictorial map drawn up in the Edo period (1603-1868), the Takeda clan’s residence was similar, consisting mainly of a square pavilion and a garden. The residence was divided into a private area in the north and a public area in the south. The private area included family quarters and religious facilities such as the Fudo Hall, while the public area included a formal meeting place, a meeting place where people of all ranks and classes were allowed to sit together for events such as poetry festivals and legal proceedings, and a garden. The pictorial map also shows the locations of the second-floor turret, a place to practice archery, a place to play kemari (a type of football played by courtiers in ancient Japan), a temporary Noh stage, the bathhouse, and the toilets. In addition, with the aid of the pictorial map, we were able to identify the foundation stones of a former gate. From the location referred to on the map as sensui (pond), traces of a garden were discovered, including large standing stones and blue and white decorative pebbles that were spread over the bottom of the pond. It is said that Shingen even named some of the trees in his beloved garden.

Expensive ceramics, such as celadon from Song Dynasty China (960-1279) and ceramics from the Kamakura period (late 12th century-1333), similar to those that decorated the shogun’s palace, have been excavated from the site. The Takeda clan decorated their tokonoma, a slightly raised alcove found in formal reception rooms, with furnishings in accordance with samurai etiquette, which would have been immediately recognizable to the shoguns. Thus, by displaying these so-called prestige items, the Takeda clan was claiming their rule over the territory to be legitimate.

When excavating opposite the moat on the southern side of the Western Quarter, the remains of a war horse were found with its legs tucked in, its head facing north, and its body oriented in a westerly direction. The remains were those of a male horse of about 14 years of age which would have stood about 126 cm tall, the size of a modern-day pony. Japanese horses of the Warring States period were significantly smaller than modern-day horses. Notably, the condition of the bones indicate that this horse was well nourished and muscular. Furthermore, a piece of gold-trimmed, lacquered horse armor was unearthed near the northern gate of the Western Quarter. The discovery of such elaborate horse armor leads one to assume that horses were highly prized by the Takeda clan. Indeed, horses were highly prized throughout Japan well into the late Edo period.