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{{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
| image         =Hagi Castle 002.jpg
| image_upright = 1.2
| caption       = The ''[[tenshu]]'' (main keep) of Hagi Castle, in the early [[Meiji Period]]
| location      = [[Hagi, Yamaguchi]], [[Japan]]
| part_of       = "Hagi Proto-industrial Heritage / Hagi Castle Town" part of ''[[Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining]]''
| criteria      = {{UNESCO WHS type|(ii), (iv)}}(ii), (iv)
| ID            = 1484-004
| coordinates   = {{coord|34.421419|131.381389|display=title|type:landmark_region:JP_scale:10000|format=dms}}
| year          = 2015
| locmapin      = Japan Yamaguchi Prefecture#Japan
| map_caption   = 
| embedded = {{box|background=white|align=center|wide=yes|border size=3px|border color=brown|text align=center|[[Monuments of Japan|National Historic Site of Japan]]}}
}}

{{Nihongo|'''Hagi Castle'''|萩城|Hagi-jō}} is a [[Japanese castle]] located in the city of [[Hagi, Yamaguchi|Hagi]], [[Yamaguchi Prefecture]], in the [[San'yō region]] of Japan. Built in 1604 at the beginning of the [[Edo period]] as the main castle of the [[Mōri clan]], it served as the seat of the [[Chōshū Domain]] for over 250 years until 1863. It was demolished in 1874 shortly after the [[Meiji Restoration]]. Its ruins were designated a [[Historic Sites of Japan|National Historic Site]] in 1924.<ref name="Bunka1">{{cite web |url=https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/162238|title=萩城跡 |language=Japanese |publisher=[[Agency for Cultural Affairs]] |accessdate=}}</ref> Hagi Castle has been designed as a component of the [[Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining]], which received [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]] status in 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1484/multiple=1&unique_number=2045 |title=Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining |publisher=UNESCO|accessdate=21 October 2015}}</ref>

== Location ==
[[File:Hagi Castle Town Aerial photograph.1976.jpg|thumb|left|180px|Hagi Castle Town from the air]]
Hagi Castle is located at the seashore of Hagi city, in northeastern Yamaguchi Prefecture. The Hagi area borders the [[Sea of Japan]] and occupies the delta of the Abu River. The edge of the delta is Mount Shigetsu, with an elevation of 150 meters, which was formerly an island but is connected to the land by sandbank. The castle is built on Mount Shigetsu.

Like elsewhere in Japan, a town grew around the castle, and the area is now known as Hagi Castle Town.

==Layout==
[[File:Burg Hagi alt.jpg|thumb|left|180px|Edo period map of Hagi Castle]]
Hagi Castle consisted of two square enclosures on Mount Shigetsu and the sandbank connecting it to the mainland. The ocean forms a natural moat on the back side of the castle and a water moat connected to the ocean protects the front. From the landward approach, these enclosures are at an angle, such that a corner of the enclosure faces the mainland to the southeast. Both areas are protected by stone walls and compound gates. 

The ''[[tenshu]]'' (keep) was a five-story structure, and many [[yagura (tower)|''yagura'']] (turrets) were constructed at intervals on the stone walls. On the mainland was a tertiary area, also protected by moats, for the higher-ranked retainer's residences, and the [[jōkamachi|castle town]].

== History ==
=== Founding ===
{{multiple image
| align = right
| image1 = Hagi Castle oldphoto.jpg
| total_width=350
| caption1 = 
| image2 = Hagi Castle The Keep Base.jpg
| caption2 = 
| footer = View of the main keep before 1880, and its current ruins
}}
[[File:Hagi Castle Miniature Model.jpg|thumb|Model of the original castle grounds]]
The site was originally occupied by a minor fortification erected by the Yoshimi clan, who were based at [[Tsuwano Castle]] in [[Iwami Province]]. The Yoshimi were retainers of the [[Ōuchi clan]], who were ''[[shugo]]'' of the provinces on [[Nagato province|Nagato]] and [[Suō Province|Suō]] from the late [[Kamakura period]]. In the mid-[[Muromachi period]], the Ōuchi were overthrown by their own general, [[Sue Harukata]], who was in turn defeated by the [[Mōri clan]]. 

[[Mōri Motonari]] was originally a minor warlord from [[Aki Province]], but after defeating Sue Harutaka and later the [[Amago clan]] of [[Izumo Province]], rose to become the ruler of most of the [[Chugoku region]] of western Japan. Under his grandson, [[Mōri Terumoto]] and with the support of [[Kikkawa Motoharu]] and [[Kobayakawa Takakage]], the Mōri continued to expand, but eventually came into conflict with [[Oda Nobunaga]], who general [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi|Hashiba Hideyoshi]] and gradually were forced back into the western half of the Chugoku region. Nobunaga was assassinated before the Mōri could be completely defeated, and agreed to become vassals of his successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Under Toyotomi rule, the Mōri constructed [[Hiroshima Castle]] as their main stronghold. 

After the death of Hideyoshi, the Mōri supported his son, [[Toyotomi Hideyori]], at the 1600 [[Battle of Sekigahara]] against [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]]. However, the Mōri did not actually participate in any combat during that battle, as [[Kikkawa Hiroie]] was in secret communication with the Tokugawa forces and prevented the Mōri army from receiving orders to move forward. After the battle and the establishment of the [[Tokugawa shogunate]], Tokugawa Ieyasu betrayed his agreement with the Mōri and seized two-thirds of their holdings, including their home province of Aki. Forced back to only Nagato and Suō, the Mōri needed a new stronghold.  Initially they petitioned to be allowed to construct their stronghold in either [[Yamaguchi (city)|Yamaguchi]] or [[Hōfu, Yamaguchi|Hōfu]], which were on the strategic [[Sanyōdō]] highway which connected [[Kyoto]] with [[Kyushu]].  However, the shogunate rejected these proposals and ordered that they build their stronghold at Hagi, which was at the time only a small fishing village, distant from important roads and was a swampy area hemmed in by hills and rivers. Construction of Hagi Castle began in 1604 and was completed in 1608.

Although [[Chōshū Domain]] played a major role in the history of [[Bakumatsu]] Japan and the [[Meiji restoration]], Hagi Castle was not the site of any major conflict. In 1863, the Mōri clan moved their seat from Hagi Castle to Yamaguchi Castle for fear of attack by foreign naval forces following the [[Shimonoseki campaign]].

=== Destruction and ruins ===
In 1874, most of the castle structures were demolished by order of the new [[Meiji government]] and some moats were reclaimed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jcastle.info/castle/profile/86-Hagi-Castle |title=Hagi Castle |access-date=2008-04-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080313200458/http://www.jcastle.info/castle/profile/86-Hagi-Castle |archive-date=2008-03-13 }}</ref> However, the stone walls of central area and hilltop area remain largely intact, and the outer gate and a corner turret was later restored. The ruins were declared a National Historic Site in 1951, as was Hagi Castle Town in 1967.<ref name="Bunka2">{{cite web |url=https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/139557|title=萩城城下町 |language=Japanese |publisher=[[Agency for Cultural Affairs]] |accessdate=}}</ref>  Mount Shigetsu <ref name="Bunka3">{{cite web |url=https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/217479|title=指月山 |language=Japanese |publisher=[[Agency for Cultural Affairs]] |accessdate=}}</ref>  was designated a National Natural Monument in 1971. In 2006, Hagi Castle was selected as one of [[Japan's Top 100 Castles]] by the Japan Castle Foundation in 2006.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20141117152607/http://www1a.biglobe.ne.jp/nihonjokaku/ Japan Castle Foundation]</ref>

It was registered as a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]] on July 5, 2015, as part of the [[Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining]]. It is registered as part of Hagi's Castle Town.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kyuyama.jp/e/kyushuyamaguchi/ky_hagi_04.html |title=Hagi Castle Town |access-date=2012-02-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016154748/http://www.kyuyama.jp/e/kyushuyamaguchi/ky_hagi_04.html |archive-date=2013-10-16 }}</ref><ref>{{ cite web | url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1484/multiple=1&unique_number=2045| title=Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining}}</ref>

<gallery class="center" widths="200" heights="200">
File:Hagi Castle 02.jpg|Remaining walls
File:Moat of Hagi Castle 1.jpg|The inner moat
File:Hagi, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan - panoramio.jpg|The outer moat
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[List of Historic Sites of Japan (Yamaguchi)]]
*[[Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Literature ==
*{{cite book |title=An Encyclopedia of Japanese Castles | last=De Lange |first=William |year=2021 |pages=600 pages|publisher=Toyo Press |location=Groningen |isbn=978-9492722300}}
*{{cite book| title=Castles in Japan| last=Schmorleitz| first=Morton S.| year=1974| pages=[https://archive.org/details/castlesinjapan00schm/page/144 144–145]| publisher=Charles E. Tuttle Co.| location=Tokyo| isbn=0-8048-1102-4| url-access=registration| url=https://archive.org/details/castlesinjapan00schm/page/144}}
*{{cite book | title=Japanese Castles| last=Motoo| first=Hinago| year=1986| publisher=Kodansha| location=Tokyo| isbn=0-87011-766-1| page= 200 pages}}
*{{cite book | title=Castles of the Samurai: Power and Beauty | last=Mitchelhill| first=Jennifer| year=2004| publisher=Kodansha| location=Tokyo| isbn=4-7700-2954-3 | page= 112 pages}}
*{{cite book | title=Japanese Castles 1540-1640  | url=https://archive.org/details/ospreyfortressja00ospr  | url-access=limited  | last=Turnbull| first=Stephen| year=2003| publisher=Osprey Publishing|  isbn=1-84176-429-9 | page= [https://archive.org/details/ospreyfortressja00ospr/page/n62 64] pages}}

== External links ==
{{commons category}}
*[http://www.japansmeijiindustrialrevolution.com/en/site/hagi/component01.html  Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution official home page]
*[https://www.hagishi.com/en/search/detail.php?d=190010 Hagi Sightseeing Guide]

{{100 Fine Castles of Japan}}
{{Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining}}

[[Category:Castles in Yamaguchi Prefecture]]
[[Category:Hagi, Yamaguchi]]
[[Category:Historic Sites of Japan]]
[[Category:100 Fine Castles of Japan]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Japan]]
[[Category:1604 establishments in Japan]]
[[Category:Mōri clan]]
[[Category:Nagato Province]]