Yamagata Castle was first founded in 1356 by Shiba Kaneyori during Japan's Nanboku-chō (Northern and Southern Courts) era. The castle was considerably expanded in 1592 by Mogami Yoshiaki, although a central keep (donjon) was never constructed. The castle was demolished in 1871 following the Meiji Restoration, with its grounds given over to military quarters and even cultivated land in parts. In 1986, the grounds were declared a historic site, with reconstruction begun on the pictured Higashi Ōte-mon (completed in 1991). Further excavations and reconstruction resulted in a section of the Hon-maru being restored in 2006.