A modern concrete reproduction, Hamamatsu castle was first built in 1532 by the Imagawa clan. Conquered by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1568, it was then refortified and used as his main fortress for some 17 years from 1570. Reduced to rubble during the Meiji Restoration, it was rebuilt in 1958 during Japan's great post-war castle reconstructions. The surrounding park is Hamamatsu's most popular spot for cherry blossom viewing (hanami) in early spring.