Following the victory of Tokugawa Ieyasu's forces and allies in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Hosokawa Tadaoki was rewarded with the Kokura Domain for his service. Kokura Castle was built under his lordship in 1602, but came under the rule of the Ogasawara clan in 1632 when Hosokawa was transferred to Kumamoto. The Ogasawara clan oversaw the growth of Kokura castle town as its location as the base of Kyūshū's three main roads became increasingly important. A fire in 1837 destroyed the entire castle, but it was quickly reconstructed just two years later. The reconstruction lasted less than 30 years however, as the conflict and intrigue of the late Edo era saw it torched again by the Ogasawara as they retreated from the forces of the Chōshū clan - allies of the anti-shogunate Satsuma clan. In 1959, a ferro-concrete reproduction of the donjon was completed, with a 1990 renovation setting up an interactive folklore and history museum in the interior.