Minamimorokata

Southern Morokata lies in the inland country of Hyūga, along the approaches from the Miyazaki plain toward Satsuma. At Takaoka, Mukasa Castle guarded a region that had formed part of the great Shimazu estate in the Middle Ages. Control of the fortress changed during the struggles between the Itō and Shimazu families, before it returned to Shimazu hands. Its history reflects the long contest for authority across southern Kyushu.