Mashima

Mashima lies in the wooded uplands of western Mimasaka, along the upper Asahi River. At Takada, boats carried goods downstream, making the settlement a landing place for the river trade. In 1764 Miura Akitugu arrived from Nishio in Mikawa and established his seat there. He renamed the castle and town Katsuyama, giving the old riverside settlement a new role as the centre of a small domain.