defect from the Mōri. In 1581 the Mōri responded by appointing Kikkawa Tsuneie to Tottori Castle with an army of 3000 men. Rather than attack the reputedly impregnable Tottori Castle by frontal assault, Hideyoshi opted for siege warfare. He purchased all available rice and other foodstuffs in Inaba Province for very high prices. He also built a semi-circular 12-kilometer long encampment called the on three sides of the castle to isolate it from the town and any supplies or reinforcement. With little food and no hope of reinforcement, the castle surrendered after three months and Kikkawa Tsuneie was forced to commit seppuku. After taking the castle without damage, Hideyoshi assigned it to his general, Miyabe Keihin. However, after his death and the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu reassigned the castle to Ikeda Mitsumasa in 1616. As daimyō of Tottori Domain, which ruled both Inaba and Hōki Provinces, Ikeda Mitsumasa greatly expanded upon and rebuilt Tottori Castle with stone walls and water moats. The mountain areas of the castle, including its original inner bailey were abandoned, but at the lower levels a three-story tenshu was constructed. The castle remained in the hands of a branch of the Ikeda clan to the end of the Edo Period. Following the Meiji restoration, Tottori Castle was given to the Ministry of the Army in 1873, coming under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Japanese Army's 4th Division. In 1876, the Ministry of the Army decided to dismantle Tottori Castle when Tottori Prefecture was incorporated into Shimane Prefecture, arguing that no castle was needed except in the prefectural capital, Matsue. In 1879, the demolition of Tottori Castle began, though Tottori Prefecture was later re-established in 1881. Little remains of the castle aside from parts of the stone wall and one gate, reinforced with iron and featuring spikes on the outside of the doors to help protect against attackers.The site became a park and grounds for a high school. Tottori Castle was listed as one of Japan's Top 100 Castles by the Japan Castle Foundation in 2006. The castle ruins are a 30-minute walk from Tottori Station on the JR West San'in Main Line. See also List of Historic Sites of Japan (Tottori) Siege of Tottori Notes References Literature Ruined castles in Japan Castles in Tottori Prefecture Historic Sites of Japan Demolished buildings and structures in Japan Buildings and structures demolished in 1879 100 Fine