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The ruins of Kitanosho Castle can be found at Shibata Park. Construction of the castle was started in 1575, by the warlord Shibata Katsuie (c. 1523–1583), but it was destroyed in 1583 with Shibata’s defeat. The park also includes a shrine dedicated to Shibata and his wife.

It is said that the warlord Shibata Katsuie was given 490,000 koku by Nobunaga Oda and spent several years building his castle, Kitanosho Castle (Kitanoshojo), where he resided. Luis Frois, a Spanish missionary who visited the castle, saw the nine-storied keep and other structures and marveled at their grandeur. In 1583, Katsuie was attacked by the forces of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, with whom he was at odds, and set fire to the castle himself, where he died a spectacular death along with his wife, Oda Nobunaga's sister, Oichi, and his family. The castle was also destroyed after only eight short years of existence.

Today, Shibata Shrine stands on the site of Kitanosho Castle, where Shibata Katsuie and his wife Oichi are enshrined. In the precincts of the shrine, there are statues of Lord Shibata Katsuie, Oichi, and Oichi's three daughters. The Kitanosho Castle Ruins Museum, which is located next to the shrine, preserves relics of Kitanosho Castle.

The graves of Shibata Katsuie and Oichi are also located at Saikoji Temple, within walking distance (about 1 km) from here.