Izaku Castle

{{short description|Castle ruins in Hioki, Japan}}

{{Infobox military installation

| name = Izaku Castle

| nativename-a={{lang|ja|伊作城}}

| partof =

| location =Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan

| image =Izaku Castle Kame jiro.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Kamemaru jo compound of Izaku Castle

| type = Hirayama-style castle

| height =

| ownership = Shimazu clan

| controlledby =

| condition = ruins

| built = 13th century

| builder = Unknown

| used =

| materials =

| demolished = 1615

| battles =

| past_commanders = Shimazu Tadayoshi, Shimazu Takahisa

| garrison =

| occupants =

| events =

| coordinates = {{WikidataCoord|display=it}}

| embedded = {{Infobox mapframe|wikidata=yes|zoom=16|marker=castle|coord={{WikidataCoord|display=i}}}}

| pushpin_map = Japan Kagoshima Prefecture#Japan

| pushpin_label_position = top

| pushpin_map_caption =

| footnotes =

}}

{{nihongo|Izaku Castle|伊作城|Izaku-jō}} was a castle structure in Hioki, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.

The date of the castle's construction is unknown, but it is believed that the castle was built by Shimazu Hisanaga in the thirteenth century.{{cite web|url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E4%BC%8A%E4%BD%9C%E5%9F%8E-179689|title=日本の城がわかる事典「伊作城」の解説|publisher=kotobank|access-date=13 November 2021}} It was the original seat of power for the Shimazu clan until 1536, when Shimazu Takahisa relocated the clan leadership to Ichiuji Castle. It was famously the birthplace of the warlords Shimazu Tadayoshi, Shimazu Yoshihisa and Shimazu Yoshihiro.{{cite web|url= https://www.kagobura.net/shop/shop.shtml?s=1034 |title=伊作城|publisher=かごぶら|language=Japanese|accessdate=25 July 2019}}{{cite web|url= https://kojodan.jp/castle/1589/ |title=伊作城|publisher=攻城団|language=Japanese|accessdate=25 July 2019}}{{cite web|url=http://www.m-satsuma.info/detail/tableware/pg167.html|title=国史跡 伊作城|publisher=南さつま観光|language=Japanese|accessdate=25 July 2019|archive-date=5 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190805211029/http://www.m-satsuma.info/detail/tableware/pg167.html|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.jalan.net/kankou/spt_46367af2170019508/kuchikomi/0003382656/ |title=伊作城跡 |publisher=じゃらん|language=Japanese|accessdate=25 July 2019}}

Owing to its significance to the clan, Izaku castle was retained as a stronghold until 1615. The castle is now only ruins, with nothing but some moats and earthworks remaining.