Founded in 1580, Kōriyama Castle (often referred to as Yamato Kōriyama-jō to distinguish it from other Kōriyamas) was built as by Tsutsui Junkei as his base in the Yamato plains. The castle came under the control of Toyotomi Hidenaga in 1585 following Junkei's death, after which it was remodeled and improved upon. Upon Hidenaga's demise, Kōriyama-jō spent time under numerous lords' watch, until finally passing to Yanagisawa Yoshisato in 1724. The Yanagisawa family continued to rule over the fortress and surrounding town until the start of the Meiji era. Most of the castle structures were dismantled following the site's decommissioning in 1873, but many of the walls and moat remain, along with a pair of towers and gate.