Sunomataichiyajoshi Park

Ogaki, Gifu, Japan, Japan

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Sunomataichiyajoshi Park (more commonly called Sunomata Ichiyajo Castle Ruins Park or simply Sunomata Castle Park) is a public park and historic site in Sunomata, Ogaki City, Gifu Prefecture, Japan, built on the grounds of the legendary “One‑Night Castle” that was erected in 1566 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi under orders from Oda Nobunaga to support the siege of Inabayama (Gifu) Castle. The original fortress was a wooden walled castle with lookout towers constructed so quickly that it was said to have appeared almost overnight, and it became a key base from which Nobunaga finally defeated the Saitō clan and took control of the entire Mino region. Today’s “castle” is a modern reconstructed tower on the ruins of that original site, serving as the Ogaki City Sunomata Historical Museum, which displays exhibits on Hideyoshi’s life, the castle’s history, and the conflict between Nobunaga and the Saitō clan, and on the top floor visitors can see a small golden sculpture of a killer whale said to be the only one in Japan. The park is best known as one of the best cherry‑blossom spots in Gifu, with over 1,000 cherry trees, including about 800 Yoshino cherry trees along the 3.7‑kilometer Sai River embankment that form a famous “cherry blossom tunnel,” and during the Sunomata Cherry Blossom Festival in late March to early April the trees are illuminated at night and the area hosts bazaars and stage events.