Ōzu Castle (大洲城), also known as Jizōgatake Castle (地蔵ヶ嶽城), is a castle located in Ōzu, Ehime Prefecture, Japan. Early defensive structures date back to early 14th century by Utsunomiya Toyofusa. In 1888 deterioration of the castle keep (天守) led to its demolition, but it was accurately re-constructed in 2004. History Local records state that, by 1331, barricades and small fortresses punctuated the Jizōgatake, a strategic mound overhanging the Hiji River (肱川) . The defensive compound as it stands …