Zeze Castle was completed by Ieyasu Tokugawa in the year following his historic victory at the great battle of Sekigahara, and was a beautiful castle that used water from the lake to create natural moats around it. It was abandoned after the Meiji Restoration, with the castle gates being moved to Zeze-jinja Shrine and Shinozu-jinja Shrine. The remains of the castle keep itself are now Zeze Castle Ruins Park, and have become a famous spot for viewing cherry blossoms in spring.