OVERVIEW

Hinoe Castle was the residence of the Arima clan and it was told to be built during the Period of the Northern and Southern Courts (1336-1392).
The castle was formed by a main building constructed next to the tip of a small hill about 78 m high, oriented north-south to the hill. In the east, there was the second palace and the Oteguchi Gate. In the west side stood the third palace. The building was told to have had many rooms, a garden and a tea room.

Archeological excavations brought to light the stone wall, the relics of a staircase and many ceramic wares. The staircase is a 100 meters long and connects what it is presumed to have been the entrance of the castle and the main palace. It appears to be very similar to the stairs of Azuchi Castle in the Shiga Prefecture. Even a toribusuma (a tile that sticks out from the side of the roof) decorated with a gold foil has been excavated. This kind of roof tile has been noted to have been granted by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. This reveals a political connection to the central government, meaning that the castle had great authority in the area.
In July 3, 1982, the castle ruins were designated a Historic Site by the National Government.