Hayami

Hayami lies on the northern shore of Beppu Bay in Bungo. After the Battle of Sekigahara, Kinoshita Nobutoshi received lands here and began building Hiji Castle in 1601. The castle rose above the shore, with its town arranged around the lord's residence. Its position looked across the sheltered bay towards the mountains of central Kyushu, giving the small Hiji domain a coastal seat for its government.