Which castle did Oda Nobunaga build in 1576 as a symbol of his power?

Oda Nobunaga built Azuchi Castle in 1576 as a symbol of his power.

The castle stood on Mount Azuchi beside Lake Biwa in Ōmi Province, close to important routes leading toward Kyoto. Nobunaga chose the site partly for strategic access and partly for its ability to project authority over the surrounding region.

Azuchi was unusually innovative for its time. Its central keep, or tenshu, was tall and richly decorated, and the interior reportedly included lavish paintings and religious imagery. The design influenced later Japanese castle architecture, especially the spectacular fortified castles of the Azuchi–Momoyama period.

Nobunaga did not live to complete his wider political project. After his death at Honnō-ji in 1582, Azuchi Castle was burned. Only ruins and archaeological remains survive, so it should not be confused with surviving castles such as Himeji or Matsumoto.