A base at the front lines of a crucial battle: Yoshida Castle

The remains of Yoshida Castle's premises stretch from the entire Toyohashi Park area to the neighboring Toyohashi City Hall.
In 1564 when Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu was still part of his former Matsudaira Clan, he attacked Imagawa ally and Yoshida Castle lord Ohara Shigezane, capturing and castle and declaring Sakai Tadatsugu its new lord.
The castle underwent a variety of changes such as those brought to light during an excavation survey which showed that Sakai Tadatsugu rennovated Yoshida Castle, adding a new moat. The castle later fell into the hands of Ikeda Terumasa, a subordinate of Hashiba Hideyoshi, who then went on to modify the greater castle precinct. Ruins of the castle while under Terumasa's control reveal a stone wall beneath the Kurogane Turret which is said to have been built using state-of-the-art technology of the time.
Many may be surprised to know that Yoshida Castle belonged to Ikeda Terumasa, known for his later construction of Himeji Castle—now a World Heritage Site. That such an integral figure was given ownership of Yoshida Castle shows its importance as a castle at the front lines of Japan's warring past.